Cat
by myshadowspirit
Summary: "And . . . the cat, unable to attend the banquet . . . was very angry that he had been deceived . . ."
1. And so is Born the Monster

An: So, I wrote this a very, very long time ago. like 7 years ago I when I really liked ellipses. I never uploaded because I didn't think it was good enough but now I don't care!

Cat

Chapter 1

And so is Born the Monster

 _I can't remember my mother very well . . . except that she was always crying. She had long light brown hair; pretty hair. She must have been beautiful once._

 _Before._

 _I can only picture my father with that hateful scowl on his face. His cheek seemed sunken. I wondered if he had smiled ever in his entire life. He must have, right? At one point in his life, he must have been happy, right?_

 _Right._

 _Before._

 _Before I was born._

 _My parents were happy._

She brushed her hands on her apron and let out a breath. Dinner was almost ready. She had remembered to make his favorite, hoping to ease him into what she had to tell him when he came home. She smiled to herself and felt butterflies flutter inside her. She suppressed a giggle. She should calm down.

She heard the door open and bit her lip to keep from smiling.

A man leaned in at the door and knocked on the wall. "Excuse me miss?"

She spun around to face him and pretended to gasp. "Who are you?"

"Well . . . you see . . . I have no place to stay and I'm very hungry. I was wondering if I could sleep here tonight," he said as he crossed the kitchen to her.

"Oh no," she said. "I can't let you do that."

"Why not?" he said taking her hands.

"Because my husband wouldn't like it. And this is _his_ dinner."

"Is it really? It smells very good."

"Oh yes, it's his favorite. I'm sure he's very hungry."

"I am . . .I mean he is," he quickly said, lamely trying to keep up the charade.

She laughed and kissed his lips. "How about he eat it then?"

He sat down and she brought the food to the table, humming as she did so. "You seem awfully happy tonight."

"Am I not aloud to be happy?" she asked as she sat down as well. "I'm married to the man of my dreams . . ."

"There's that," he agreed as he stuffed some food in his mouth.

She smiled at him as he ate, then she picked up one of her chop sticks, and starting tracing patterns on the table with it. "Well . . ." she said. "Actually . . . there is something, extra special that has made me happy today."

"Hmm?" he said as he ate.

"Um, well," She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

He stopped chewing, the chop sticks still in his mouth as he gaped at her.

"Oh, I know you said you wanted to wait! But it was an accident, and I just thought well, maybe . . . it'll be ok . . . right? We could support a baby. I mean your family's loaded for crying out loud, and I'm sure you'll be a good father."

He took the chop sticks out of his mouth and started coughing, beating on his chest as he did so.

"You're over joyed, right? That was an 'I'm-so-happy-I'm-choking-cough'?"

"Dammit!" he cried once he had enough air in his lungs to do so.

"Dammit? That's what you have to say? Dammit? Damn what Ryou, the baby? Don't make this my fault. You're the one who couldn't keep his pants on! I can't believe you! You don't have the tiniest bit of happiness about this! You should be supportive of it! I have every right to throw you out right now!"

"No, no! Calm down. I didn't mean damn the baby."

"Oh?!"

"Yes. I'll love the baby."

"You'll love the baby?"

"Yes." He nodded his head. "But . . . Aimi, there's something I need to tell you . . . too."

"What?" she asked, clearly annoyed with him.

"There's an issue with having a baby . . . not the baby its self," he added hastily. "But an _issue._ "

"Oh what? Did you get fired from your job?"

"No, no. I still have my job. My boss hates me and he's working me to death, but I'm hanging in there."

"Then what is it?"

"It's . . ." he started, but he didn't know how to continue so he just said, "Dammit!" again and got up. "Hold on a moment." He went into the living room and put a hand on his head, trying to think.

Aimi threw her chop sticks on the table and got up as well, stomping into the bedroom and locking the door behind her.

She looked into the full size mirror, frowning, before gently touching her stomach. "It's alright," she told herself. "He's just surprised. He'll get over it. He's going to love you." She stroked her stomach. "He is, and I'm going to love you too. I'll love you more than anything."

Ryou rubbed his face hard. He had to calm down. Why didn't he tell her this sooner? He guessed he was afraid of what she might think. He was hoping to delay it as long as he could, but he knew Aimi wanted a baby. He knew he couldn't stop this from happening.

Maybe it'll be ok. Maybe the baby wouldn't be effected at all.

But there was a chance that it would be.

And that chance could ruin Aimi. He just had to tell her. If she was prepared, maybe she would be fine. He thought what was born already. Dragon, dog, snake, bird, monkey, boar, horse . . .

That was a lot of them. More then half of them were born already. That was good, though it was unusual. They didn't usually have that many alive at the same time, and all of them were still young. The chances of yet _another_ one being born were slim.

And if there was, they would get money for raising one of the Zodiac. It'll be ok.

Then he remembered something . . . what if it was the cat.

He laughed to himself. Like that would happen. They just had a cat. In _his_ life time. It wouldn't be born again.

Ok.

He'll tell her.

He went to the bedroom and knocked on the door.

"What?!" she cried out in answer.

"I'm sorry."

She didn't answer.

"I'm ready to talk now."

"Will there be any 'damning of the world' in this conversation?"

"No. I promise."

She opened the door and let him in.

"Ok," he said as he sat on the bed. Aimi sat next to him. "I'm not mad about the baby."

"You're not?"

"No. It's just . . . my family . . ."

"Your family . . . ?"

"My family is cursed!"

She let out a laugh. "Cursed?"

"Yes!"

"And how are you cursed?"

" _I'm_ not cursed. My _family's_ cursed, and it could effect the baby. I might still have passed it on, even though it doesn't effect me."

" . . . like a disease?"

"Kind of . . ."

She gasped, then whispered, "Is it a fatal disease?"

"No, it's not a fatal disease. . . . It doesn't harm the child."

"What is it then?"

"I don't think it's anything you've ever heard before."

"Well, try me," she said and crossed her arms.

"Aimi . . . it not a regular disease . . . it's . . . ok you're going to laugh at me, but" he took her hands. "They turn into animals."

"What?"

"They turn into _animals_. It happens when they're held by the opposite gender or when they're sick."

"Ha, Ha Ryou. You're too funny."

"I'm _serious_. They're the members of the zodiac! We've have this curse since as long as anyone can remember."

"Stop it, Ryou."

"I'm telling the truth!"

"I said _stop_ it!"

"But Aimi–"

"STOP IT!" she pulled her hands away. "You're _not_ funny, Ryou!"

He sighed. "Fine. I'll prove it to you." He got up and left the room. Aimi sat there on the bed, angry with him. Then she heard the front door open as Ryou was about to leave.

"Wait!" she hurried after him. He was already out the door. Outside, she grabbed his arm. "Wait! You're not leaving me right?!" she said in a panic.

"No, no. You want to come with me?" he took her hand. "Here, we'll go together."

She leaned into him as they walked. She felt somewhat scared. He had never acted like this before, and she wasn't sure where they were going. The air was a little cool and they hadn't put on coats. His warmth against her's was reassuring though and she began to calm down. It soon became no more as if the two of them were going on an after dinner walk.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked.

"To my family main house," he answered.

"Oh . . ."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Aimi told herself to enjoy this moment. She didn't know why, but she felt like this would be one the last of these moments. It didn't really make sense. If they were just starting to make their family, there should be lots of these moments to come, right?

When they eventually came to the main estate, they stood in front of a rather large gate. Aimi had only been here a few times, and every time she visited, she was breathless on the largeness of the place.

Ryou knocked on the large doors that said, "Sohma" on them. He sighed. "The head of the family isn't going to be happy with us coming in at such a time."

"Oh the head of the family? How is he doing? I've heard he hasn't been well. Is he recovering?"

"No," was all that Ryou said.

The doors opened and a women greeted them. "Master Ryou? We weren't expecting you," she said and she lead the two into the estate.

"We've come to see the head of the family."

"Oh well . . . I don't think he'll want to see people so suddenly. It can't be good for his health."

"But this is important. It's about . . . the secret."

The servant looked at Aimi once and bit her nails. "Oh dear," she muttered. This made Aimi uneasy. "Oh . . . ok."

The servant brought them inside the main house, and they walked though the halls. More servants walked by them. Aimi wondered just how much money the Sohma's actually had.

The servant leading them, told another to inform the head of the family. Excitement seem to scatter everywhere.

"Ok," said the servant as she stopped them in front of two doors. Akira Sohma-san has been inform of your arrival." she bowed to them once before opening the door and allowing herself in while the two followed.

Across the room, sitting on a pillow was a man. He was very pale and very thin, and his light hair hung limply around his face. He lifted his eyes only a little at the people who had entered. Next to him was a very young boy, who sat on his pillow awkwardly. The boy look much like his father, except that his hair was black and uneven. He couldn't be anymore then three.

The servant bowed to the man and then Aimi and Ryou did the same. "Akira Sohma-san? Ryou and Aimi Sohma-san." and then she left, leaving Aimi and Ryou to sit on the two mats laid for them.

"Ryou . . . you've interrupted our dinner," said Akira.

"I am sorry Akira-san," Ryou said staring at the ground for forgiveness.

Aimi caught the eyes of the boy and smiled at him. The boy's eyebrows drew together in confusion at the gesture.

"I would like to discuss . . . the issue of the curse . . . with my wife."

Akira looked at them. "You might as well warn the poor woman."

"I did tell her. She doesn't believe me."

Akira sighed, and Aimi gave a nervous smile. She was trying to figure out if everyone was in on this joke, but her.

"Is there something . . . you don't understand, Aimi-san?"

"Oh, well . . . I think you guys went to a lot of trouble to be funny. It's really amazing. I don't think I could keep it up," Aimi laughed.

Ryou smacked his forehead.

Akira sighed. "I guess we could show her . . ."

"You don't have to go to all the trouble,"

"I don't mind. It's the parents of the zodiac who may be a little annoyed. Or we could just wait, and see what happens."

No . . . no that would be a bad idea. "No, this is important."

"Alright. I will gather the Zodiac. The servants can take you to wait for them." This time an older servant came and took them away to wait.

The waiting wasn't too long, for all of these children apparently lived inside the estate. When they entered the new room, there were eight places. Each place had a child and most had their parents with them. The children's ages ranged from infant to 9. It was somewhat loud, for one little boy, who had silver white hair, didn't want to stop talking.

"Gure-kun! Can you believe that my mother just left me here!? Isn't it great!? Too bad your mother is still here, no offense to you lovely mother!" the 'mother' he was addressing forced a smile to him. She had a strong grip on her son's shoulder as if afraid if she let go, all hell would break loose. Her son, a handsome dark haired boy had a crafty smile on his face, as if just that would happen.

"Ayame-san!" cried out the servant. "You will behave or your mother will be here!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Aimi and Ryo sat before the children and parents. There was one space no one yet occupied. Aimi briefly wondered what it was for until the head of the family slowly walked in, his young son toddling behind him. "Ah . . . here we are . . ." His son let out a sound of joy and waddled as fast as he could into the arms of the dark haired boy.

"Hello there, Akito-san," the boy said affectionately.

Akito sat himself on the boy's lap and stared out defiantly at Aimi over the boy's arms. Aimi only smiled back. Children were strange things.

Akira sat down on the last place, then looked at Aimi. "Ok Aimi-san, this may be hard for you to grasp at first, but this family is cursed."

Aimi laughed. "Yeah, I got that part."

"We call it the Zodiac curse for the children possessed take the form of the Zodiac." He went around the room, naming the animals that they were. "Boar," the girl looked no more than one, "monkey," maybe two, "roster," he was older, maybe eight, "dragon, snake, dog, my son," Akira said with a hint of a smile as he went over them. "And our newest member, the horse." the woman next to her was carrying a newborn infant. For someone who just had a baby, she didn't look too happy.

"These children transform into animals when weak, or hugged by the opposite sex. It is possible, that you will give birth to such a child."

"Ok, how long are you people going to keep this up?" asked Aimi.

"I could hug her, if you want me to," said the dark haired boy. In answer Akito yanked on his hair. "Ow! Quit it Akito,"

Ayame suddenly stood up, "I WILL ALSO GIVE A HUG TO THE LADY!"

"AYAME!" the servant snapped again. "Behave!"

The boy who was supposedly the dragon, and had hardly moved at all under his father's gaze, let out a small sigh.

"Kureno," Akira said. "You do it."

Akito spun his tiny head to his father. "Papa!"

"Shh, Akito."

Kureno looked around shyly, blushing slightly. "Come on," his mother said quietly to him. "Go on," He got up awkwardly and stood before Aimi. He bowed stiffly and said, "My apologies, Lady-san," and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Oh!" said Aimi in surprise, placing a hand on his back to keep him steady.

But there was a sudden POOF and smoke surrounded her. When it had cleared, the boy was gone and only his clothes were left on her lap. She let out a scream.

"It's alright, Aimi-san," said Akira. "Don't be alarmed. He's ok."

Underneath the clothes, a tiny sparrow worked his way to light. Then once free, he sprung into the air.

"He is the rooster, but for some reason he turns into a sparrow. There are a few others that are weird like that."

The dragon boy swallowed.

The bird flew around Aimi's head twice and she lifted a shaky finger to it. The bird landed on it, flapping it's wings to keep it's balance on the shaky perch.

"Is it not a magic trick?" Aimi whispered.

"No. Now do you believe me?" asked Jyou. The bird flew back to his mother and Aimi swayed. "Aimi?" she fell into Jyou and blacked out.

Aimi opened her eyes to see the face of an older man. . . . where had she seen him before? Oh yes, he was the father of the dragon boy. She sat up. Her head had been on Jyou's lap. "Aimi?" Jyou asked worriedly?

"Oh God!" she said.

"Are you alright?" asked her husband. Everyone else had left the room except for the man, Jyou and the head of the family. "Aimi?" he asked again.

"The boy! What happened to him!?"

"He's ok," said the head of the family. "They turn back to normal after a small amount of time."

"Oh . . ." Aimi said still breathing hard.

"There are still things that we should discuss," Akira said. "It is very rare that we have so many of the Zodiac all at one time. It will be even raring if you were to give birth to yet another one."

Aimi let out a breath, calming down now.

"And if you were, it would not be of any animals that are born now. That means it will either be the ox, the rabbit, the ram, the tiger or if you are really lucky, the rat."

"Why is it lucky if I get the rat?"

Akira took in a breath while he thought of how he wanted to put this in words. "My son . . . Akito, has also been born into the curse."

Aimi blinked at him. "What animal is Akito-san?"

"He is not of an animal, but a higher existence. He is what bonds all the Zodiac together. The Zodiac all love him, for it is part of the bond that they have."

Aimi tried to get that to sink in. "So . . . how do you know there love is part of the bond?"

Akira took another breath. "When my wife . . . before my wife even knew that she was pregnant with Akito, what was born of the Zodiac had a dream, and went to her in tears, for they knew their God was coming."

"There . . . God?"

"That is the name given. All the zodiac have cried when meeting Akito. The Rat is said to be the closest to God, and for that we are greatly anticipating his arrival, if it should come in Akito's life time. All the children are required to live in the estate, and we give money to the families that raise such precious children. The rat is giving a great deal of money, for being so important that he is with God."

Aimi let that sink in too. "How . . . much money?"

"A lot," was all that Akira said.

Jyou had been having trouble with his job . . . If she gave birth to the rat, he could retire. They wouldn't have to worry about that anymore. And he could be home everyday. She felt warmth inside her.

Everyday.

And if not, and they just had a normal child, that was good too. She was having a baby, and that's all that mattered!

"So are you alright with this?" asked Ryou.

Aimi laughed and Ryou gave her a worried look. She tried to get up, and had to grab onto Ryou to keep from falling. "I'm alright with this. " She turned to Akira and bowed. "Thank you for informing me with this. I believe Ryou and me should let you get back to your dinner. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"Actually . . . before you leave, there is something I should mention to you."

"Oh?" she sat down again."

"Aimi-san, have you heard of the old legend of the Zodiac?"

"No . . . I don't think I have."

"Well . . . a long time ago, God told all the animals to come to his banquet, and don't be late. The rat told the cat the wrong date to this banquet, so the cat never came, while the rat was the first there."

Aimi blinked at Akira. "Ok . . ."

"Then after arrived the ox, the tiger and the rest of the Zodiac. Aimi-san, you do know that there is no cat in the Zodiac, right?"

"Oh . . . I guess your right. There is no cat, is there . . ."

"That's because, according to the story, the cat missed the banquet and that is why. He's a very angry and hateful being. Only searching for revenge."

"Excuse me but–"

"There is a possibility that your child will be of the cat. And unlike the others, the cat has a third form, created by that hate that he has."

"What other form?"

"It's almost impossible to described, but it is in a form of a monster that has the most awful smell and it is dangerous. It has been known to kill in the past."

Aimi put a hand over her mouth.

"For safety reasons, when the child is grown, we keep it in a special room, so it doesn't hurt its self or others."

"That's horrible!"

"This doesn't mean that you will have this child. It's only a possibility. Ok?"

"Ok," Aimi answered.

"Come on," Ryou said, taking her arm. "Let's go home now."

* * *

Five months later, Aimi was in her kitchen preparing dinner. She was trying something new, adding ginger to salmon. She licked her fingers as the phone range. She picked it up. "Hello!"

"Hey, sweetheart, it's Ryou. How are you doing?"

"Well . . . the pregnant lady has managed to cook dinner without screaming, swearing, or breaking things. I think it's a new record!"

He laughed. "Listen be careful, ok?"

"Hey, the doctor said I had two more months till anything should happened."

"But if it's one of the Zodiac–"

"Hey, hey!" she said as she cradled the phone in her shoulder and took the salmon out of the oven. "I thought you said that you were convinced that wasn't going to happened?"

"I worry."

"Don't. It gives you wrinkles." She looked up and was startled to see a cat perched on the window sill, "Hey shoo!" she waved the cat back outside and closed the window.

"Excuse me?"

"There was cat at the window. Scared the be-jibers out of me. It must have smelled the salmon."

"Anyway, I'm going to be home late again today."

"What? But we're having salmon!"

"Yeah, I should try that excuse on my boss."

"You should. You should tell him that your pregnant wife has made salmon without incident, and he'll be so shocked that he'll let you go."

"Alright, I'll try that one," he laughed.

She sighed. "Well, I love you."

"Love you, too. See you later tonight."

"Yeah . . ." she hung up. Well this put a damper on her mood. She put a piece on her plate and sat at the table, staring at the empty space across from her. She took a bite. "Emm . . . This is good." she said to her self.

"Well, thank you Ryou!"

"I think it might be the best thing I've ever had."

"Oh Ryou . . . no it's not . . ."

"Your right, you're the best thing I've ever had."

" _Ryou!"_ she stopped talking to herself, when I wave of dizziness hit her. That was weird, she usually didn't feel sick till the mornings . . . she swayed a little and grabbed onto the table, before glaring at the empty spot where Ryou would sit. "Don't say it was the salmon, Ryou! You yourself loved it!" Maybe she should lay down.

She got to the living room when she thought she felt a contraction. Panic swept over her and she went back to the kitchen and grabbed the phone, calling the Sohma doctor, the man that she had met before when she had fainted. It was too early to be having the baby now . . . but what if it was like Ryou had said? Apparently _they_ were born premature. The phone stopped ringing as it was picked up on the other side. "Help me!"

They had taken Aimi somewhere inside the estate, so that the doctor could have more help. He was the Sohma's personal doctor, but since he only took in family as patients, had no office at a hospital. It was better this way, for if she were to give birth to one of the Zodiac in a public place, their secret would be out.

"How are you feeling?" asked the doctor.

"Alright," she winced as another contraction happened. "Should I be counting the seconds in between these?"

"It would help."

"Did you contact my husband?"

"We used the number you gave us, but we haven't been able to reach him."

"Oh . . ." she cried out again. "Is this . . . going to be one of the . . . the Zodiac."

"I believe so . . ." said the doctor trying to smile. "It'll be alright."

Yes . . . she briefly wondered if it would be the rat.

Maybe.

She screamed.

* * *

"It's alright! Keep pushing!" cried one of the nurses. "It's almost over!"

It was almost over. Ryou still hadn't shown up. She didn't care, she just wanted it to be over.

It was almost over.

Suddenly one of the nurses screamed, and jumped back.

What happened what was wrong?

"Pull it out!" cried the doctor.

"I-I can't!"

"I'll do it!"

She was in so much pain . . . she didn't know what was happening. There was a smell now . . A rotting smell. Was she dying?

One of the nurses was weeping and the other was trying to comfort her. Aimi thought she heard the nurse say, "it's the devil's child," amongst her weeping.

The doctor had the baby, but she couldn't see it. His back was to her. She tried to sit up but stopped when the baby cried.

It wasn't a human made sound.

The doctor started to take it away.

"Wait!" she called out. "Were are you taking my baby!?"

A nurse rushed over to her. "Calm down, Aimi-san! Please!"

"No! I want my child!" she started to sob. What was wrong with her child? How could that nurse say such a cruel thing? She let out a hysterical scream and covered her face.

After a while, she had calmed down some. She sat on her bed, staring out blankly into nothing. Her cheeks still stained with tears. The door opened and the doctor came in.

"My baby?!"

"He is one of the Zodiac . . ."

She stared at him, "Which is he?!"

" . . . The cat . . ."

She sat there in shock. No. This couldn't be happening. Why was this happening? Why _her_ child? She hadn't done anything to deserve this! "No!" she cried out.

"Aimi-san . . ."

"I want to see it!" she cried out. "Just give me my baby!"

"Of course," he opened the door a little more and pushed in a baby carriage. "If I give him to you, he'll transform." He rolled the carriage next to the bed and she looked into it, biting her lip.

He squirmed in the blankets, probably hungry and cold. A little bit of hair flashed orange on his tiny head. On his arm was what looked like a bracelet of white and red beads.

She let out a whimper and put her hand in the carriage, gently stroking the little bit of ginger hair, trying the best she could to keep from crying again.

"As long as the beads are on him, he shouldn't transform to his third form. They're big now, but he should grow into them. As you may assume, breast feeding won't be an option, so you'll have to give him a formula."

She continued to stroke his hair. It reminded her of the ginger she had put in the salmon . . . the cold salmon now. "Kyo . . ." she murmured. The sound of the name made her want to sob all over again.

The door opened again. Ryou, followed by the nurses that were here before. Ryou looked at his wife with guilt and sadness. "I'm so sorry, Aimi!"

The nurses looked at the floor with despair too. Even the doctor was frowning. Everyone was frowning at her. No one was happy at all. She had just had a baby, and there was no happiness! Not an ounce of it. The nurses looked at the baby carriage, eyes of fear and rejection.

Ryou walked over to her and looked into the carriage. "Oh no . . ." he said as he saw the orange hair.

That was it.

She couldn't take it.

"STOP!" she screamed. They all looked at her in surprise. "STOP LOOKING AT HIM! DON'T LOOK AT HIM!"

"Aimi?!"

"Aimi-san, you must calm down," said the doctor.

The nurses look at her with fear. She spotted the one that had screamed at her child. "GET AWAY!" she took a vase that was on the bedside table and threw it at the nurses. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

The nurses scrambled about and ran out of the room. Aimi sat up looking for some more things to throw, still screaming, her legs tangled with the sheets.

Ryou threw his arms around her, pressing her face into his chest, where she screamed some more. She stopped thrashing and started to sob instead into his chest. All the noise made the baby start to cry as well.

"Shh . . ." Ryou whispered, holding her tight. He closed his eyes, and a few tears slid down his cheeks. "You'll be alright." She had to be alright. He opened his eyes to see the crying baby in the carriage. If she wasn't alright . . . he glared at the baby. . . it would be that thing's fault.

* * *

Three days after, Aimi had some how convinced the doctor that she was well enough to go home. It might have been that the doctor and the nurses were just afraid of what may happen if she stayed. They planned in moving closer to the estate so that Aimi could be closer to the doctor. They were leaving next week.

Unfortunately, Ryou wasn't able to take time off of work. He stood there in the doorway, about to leave, staring at his wife.

She stood there, staring at the ground and holding her arm.

"Are you sure you'll be ok? We could call someone to come and take care of you."

"I'm fine," she said. "I can . . . I can do it. . . take care of the baby."

"Remember to call Doctor Sohma-san, if you need _anything_ , ok?"

She nodded.

He took her face and made her look at him.

"Ok?"

"Yes."

He kissed her. Kyo started crying again. He'd been crying since they had taken him home. "The thing's giving me a headache."

"I'm sorry," she whimpered.

"It's not your fault. Don't push yourself too hard."

He left and Aimi closed the door and went to the stove to heat Kyo's milk up. She went to his crib and looked down at the baby, then the bottle of milk in her hands. How was she going to feed him without picking him up?

She pushed down the side of the crib, and knelt down so that he was eye level. Kyo squirmed and cried. His tiny hands reaches up into the air for a mother. The doctor had been able to feed him before. She could feed her own child. She held the bottle over him, some milk falling on his face. "Mommy's sorry, Kyo. She's doing the best she can." She tried to keep her arm steady, but it kept shanking. After the 4th try, she was able to get the nipple into his mouth. He sucked on it hungrily. "There we go . . ." she cooed. Then Kyo reached up with his hands, finding her wrist and wrapping his arms around it.

POOF!

Aimi dropped the bottle and cried out.

The orange kitten that was there squirmed on his back, his legs up in the air letting out small meows.

Aimi looked under the crib, crying as she tried to retrieve the bottle. The bottle was too big to feed a kitten with. She would have to wait for him to change back. "I'm sorry, Kyo," she said as the little kitten continued to cry.

She got up and got a rag, scrubbing the spot where milk had fallen.

There was another POOF as Kyo changed back. Aimi lifted her head in surprise and rammed it against the crib. This made Kyo cry even more.

"Shh, Shh, Mommy's sorry. It's ok." She put the bottle down and lifted Kyo from the crib, laying him down on the ground. She laid down beside him, at an angle so that he wouldn't be able to grab her again, and fed him the milk. She listened to the suckling sounds that Kyo made and sighed. She braced her arm with her hand, to keep it from shaking.

After a moment, Kyo turned his face from the bottle and milk oozed from his mouth. "You done?" she asked. She took a blanket from the crib and laid Kyo face down on it, and gently patted his back, helping him burp.

Afterwards, no matter what Aimi did, she couldn't make him stop crying. The only time he was quite was when he was eating, but she hadn't seen him sleep. He needed to be held and rocked and comforted. Babies needed that.

She sat beside his crib, on the floor. His cries being etched into her mind as she stared out into nothing. She was uselessly rocking the crib with one arm, hoping it would send him to sleep.

The phone range, but she didn't pick it up. She let the answer machine get it. It was her mother, checking up on her. They didn't know about the baby. They knew she had been pregnant, but nothing else. She wouldn't be able to let her mother hold Kyo.

The message ended and Aimi was still rocking the crib, Kyo still crying.

She got up and stared at the red faced baby. Could a baby cry so much that it died? "Oh, Kyo . . ." she moaned. "Ok." She reached down and took him into her arms. He turned into a cat of course, but maybe he'll fall to sleep.

Kyo purred into her chest and she held him tighter. He was finally quite. The phone rang again.

"Shoot," she muttered. The phone woke Kyo up and he stretched his claws out . She tried to put him down, but his claws were stuck in her sweater. "Let go, Kyo!" she untangled him, and went after the phone.

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Sohma-san? Yeah, were the people that are going to help move your stuff to your new house. When do you want to start that?"

Kyo was screaming in the other room and it was the only thing she could here. "What?"

"You're selling your house right?"

"Excuse me." She put down the phone and ran over to Kyo. "Kyo! It's alright, baby!" she scooped up the little kitten and picked up the phone. "I'm sorry, hello?" Kyo whimpered out little meows and he buried his face into her chest.

The man on the phone laughed. "Is that a cat, miss?"

"Wha . . .?" she dropped the phone. She didn't have any cats. This was her son! She pressed the kitten tightly to her that he cried out, digging his claws into her skin . . . . His bracelet! It wasn't on! It must've falling off the first time he transformed. She rushed back to the crib and pulled the blanket up looking for it. WHERE WAS IT?! She laid down Kyo on the floor so she could have both of her arms. She turned over the crib, looking for it. When she had finally fond it, the floor was a mess of blankets.

Where was Kyo!? "KYO!?" she heard a noise and ripped up a blanket, but it was the phone, the man asking if she was still there. "KYO?!" She picked up the phone and threw it behind her into the kitchen, where it broke. "KYO!?"

Then she heard the cry of a baby, as Kyo transformed into his human form. "Oh Kyo!" she rushed over to him, picking him up, turning him into a cat once again and cried into his soft orange fur. "Mommy's sorry that Mommy's not a good mommy." She held the kitten for the rest of the day.

Ryou opened the door to see the crib over turned, with the blankets all over the place, and the broken phone on the kitchen floor. "Aimi?!" he cried out, looking for her. "Aimi?!" He found her in the bedroom asleep, with Kyo curled up on her stomach, her hand resting on it. "Aimi?" he whispered, but she didn't move. The cat looked up though, his orange eyes stared up at Ryou and he glared back at it. He didn't like the inhuman eyes the cat had, slits instead of pupils.

He closed the door.

* * *

A week later they moved into the new house. It was a lot nicer then the one that they had.

"Well?" asked Ryou to Aimi . "Is it everything you ever wanted?" he said with a smile.

Aimi did not smile back, very unlike her. "It's nice," she said.

"Aimi," he took her hands. "I'm worried about you. Ever since . . . you know."

"The baby," she finished.

"Yes, the baby. I don't think it's good for you."

She stared into his face, not comprehending.

"I think . . . maybe . . . we should get rid of it."

She ripped her hands from his. "How can you say that?!"

"Aimi! I mean adoption or something."

"Do you know what would happen to him, with the condition he has?!"

"Well, someone who already know about the secret. They may take it. The family gives a lot of money even to the ones who raise the-"

"Would you stop calling him 'it'! His name is Kyo!"

"Kyo . . ." he said somewhat grudgingly. "But Aimi–"

"Don't talk to me!" Kyo started crying in his room. "I have to go take care of your son." She walked away and Ryou stared after her. Did that mean it was his fault? That the monster was alive, was it his fault?! It was _killing_ her!

Aimi went into Kyo's room. "Hey, baby," she said and reached down to him, but didn't pick him up. Kyo reached out to her and grabbed her finger. She smiled sadly down at him and stroked his hair. "You have pretty hair, Kyo. Yes. Mommy doesn't know where you get it from . . ." Kyo stared up at her with his cat like eyes, and as Aimi looked into those eyes, her smile fell away. Wait . . . she knew where Kyo got his hair color from, and it wasn't from his family.

* * *

Aimi opened the refrigerator while Kyo cried in the back ground. It was empty. She went through the cabinets though she knew they were empty too. "I know Kyo . . ." she cried over her shoulder. "Mommy's hungry too." She had to do some serious shopping. There was nothing in the kitchen, nothing in the bathroom. It was amazing they had towels!

She found the last of Kyo's formula and an eye dropper. She realized if he turned into a kitten, she could use the eye dropper. She would feed Kyo first . . . then she would think about shopping. She didn't think she could take Kyo with her, could she? She wouldn't be able to hold him in public. Maybe she could get a babysitter.

After feeding Kyo, she took out the phone book, and found adds for babysitting.

"Hello?"

"Hi this is 'Give a Hug' Baby sitting service! How may I help you?" said a woman's voice.

Aimi was taken aback by the name, before asking, "Um . . . who actually does the babysitting?"

"Well, me and my sisters!"

"Oh ok." She hung up. That wouldn't work. She was going to have to find a male babysitter . . . that couldn't be too hard, right?

Five minutes later . . .

"Well . . .um . .. Do you have a son who babysits?"

"What's wrong with my daughter?"

"Oh nothing, it's just . . . I need a _male_ babysitter."

"What kinda game you playing here?"

"What?"

30 minutes later . . .

"Can . . .you babysit?"

"I told you it's my girlfriend that does it!"

"I just-"

"Listen lady, I don't know anything about kids."

"He's only a baby. He won't cause any trouble."

"Still, I'll probably find away to lose him. Why can't you use my girlfriend? She's free and everything."

"Um . . . my son . . . doesn't like females . . ."

"Man, lady, how do you deal with him then?"

She was silent for a moment. "I . . ." she hung up. It was useless. How long had it been since she got on the phone? 40 minutes? Kyo would be hungry again soon, and she was out of the formula. She could get some more from the doctor. She could walk there and bring Kyo with her.

Yeah . . . and in the estate, she could find someone who knew of the curse to watch him while she want shopping.

She got dressed and put a sun hat on. "Ok Kyo," she said. "We're going on a walk. Sounds fun doesn't it?" She put Kyo in a baby carriage and headed off. The day was sunny, but not too warm. She pulled the visor down to keep the sun out of his eyes.

She let herself in at the estate. "It's awfully quite around here, isn't it Kyo?" she said softly to her baby. She stopped at doctor Sohma's house and knocked on the door. It was answered by his son, the dragon boy, she remembered. The boy looked at her with cool blue eyes, waiting for her to speak, but did not speak himself.

"Hello," she said. "Is your father home?"

"No," he said. "He's out." He turned his gaze to the floor.

"Oh . . . well, I'm out of baby formula. Is there a possibility that you could get me some more?"

The boy fidget nervously. "Um . . .yeah. Hold on." He left the door way.

"Who's at the door, Hatori?" asked one of the servants before she saw Aimi at the door way. "Oh, it's that _cat woman_!" she said before she hurried after Hatori. The way the servant had said it, made Aimi put a hand over her heart in shock. She should just ignore it. Who cared what other's thought of anything.

"Here," Hatori said, handing her the formula without looking at her. She took it and they closed the door without saying anything.

Aimi pushed the stroller away, a blank look on her face. She took a deep breath. Everything would be ok. She stopped, and opened the blind to see her son. Kyo's face scrunched up at the suddenly light in his eyes and the expression made her laugh. At the sound, Kyo noticed his mother and raised his arms out to her. "There's my little man," she said, tickling him with her finger. "Now we need to find a baby sitter." She looked up. "It's such a nice day, and no one's outside!"

They walked around the estate for a while, Aimi putting down the visor again to shade Kyo. She thought she heard something that sounded like a party and followed the sound.

She ran into two woman who were laughing at a joke one of them told. "Ok, we should probably get back before Katsumi noticed we're gone,"

"Oh, hello," Aimi said awkwardly.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" asked one of the woman.

"Well uh-"

"Was the noise to much for the baby?" asked the other.

"We can watch your baby if you want."

"Yeah, if we go back, Katsumi will try to make us get fat," The two woman laughed.

"Did you try the chocolate cake?"

"The what?" asked Aimi.

"Girl, you have to try the cake, come on!" she took Aimi's arm and started pulling her to the party.

"Uh! But Kyo!"

"Don't worry, I got him," said the other woman now pushing the carriage. "I think he'll be alright now. He's not making a sound. Must be a sleep."

"There you guys are!" cried a very attractive woman once they arrived at the yard where everyone was. "Oh, who's this?"

"I'm Aimi Sohma, I'm sorry that-"

"Aimi Sohma? I'm sorry I don't remember you! This family's just so big!" she laughed. "Well come on, come on! Stay awhile!"

Aimi noticed a large banner that said, "The Rat of the Zodiac has arrived!" She looked at the woman in surprise. "You gave birth to the Rat?"

"I know right?" she said, sipping her glass of wine. "He's around here somewhere. I can't seem to find him. Everyone wants to hold him and he keeps getting passed around."

"Congratulations. That is such a honor. You are so lucky."

"I can hardly believe it myself," she said. "I didn't think we'd have another Zodiac child. My first born is the snake." She took a deep breath. "I _can't_ deal with that boy. I don't even know where he is! I haven't seen him since yesterday!"

Aimi gasped. "Oh I hope he's alright!"

Katsumi waved her whine glass. "I'm sure I left him with _somebody_. I just can't remember who. Would you like something to drink, Aimi?"

"Oh, no thank you."

"What are you going to do with all that money, Katsumi?" asked one of the other woman.

Katsumi raised a finger. "The first thing I'm going to do when I get the chance, is take a vacation! Being a mother is so _hard_. Ayame gets sent to the principles office every week! The school keeps calling me! It's gotten to the point that I just don't care anymore! Yuki's going to be different though, I can tell you that." She looked at the baby carriage and Aimi. "You know what I'm talking about right? First they need one thing, then they need another. You're child hasn't started walking yet, has it? That's a nightmare. Or when they start _talking_. That's Ayame's problem."

"Oh no, Kyo hasn't started walking yet. He's only two weeks old."

"Oh really!" cried out one of the woman. "He must be so cute! Can we look at him?"

"Oh no," said Aimi holding down the visor. "I think he's sleeping now."

"Aw, but one little peek won't hurt. I won't even wake him."

Aimi smiled nervously and let the woman crack open the visor a little.

"Oh my God!" she said, and hastily backed away from the carriage.

"What is it?" asked Katsumi as she looking in the carriage as well. "Oh my . . . he is of the cat!" She looked at Aimi. "I am so sorry!"

"You don't have to apologies," Aimi said simply.

"But it must be hard for you!" went on Katsumi. "I wouldn't be able to stand it!" she made a face. "It has to be horrible when he goes into his true form!"

" _True_ form?"

"You know . . ." Katsumi turned her voice into a whisper. " . . . the monster form."

"That's not Kyo's _true_ form!" Aimi cried out.

"Well that what the family's always called it . . . since it reflects his feelings of hatred. It shows his soul."

"What do you know about my son's soul!" Aimi shouted. "I'm sorry, but we're leaving now!" She took the handles of the carriage and stormed out of the party.

She still had to find someone to watch Kyo, but most of the people living here were at the party. The little people she found at their homes, all made excuses that they couldn't. She pushed the carriage uselessly down the street with her head down. She could bring Kyo with her, he was so small . . . how could she carry all the groceries and still push Kyo. He was too small to put in a grocery cart. He couldn't even sit up yet.

She went back home with a sigh. She just wouldn't make dinner tonight. Jyou wouldn't be happy. . . . He'd blame Kyo. She bit her lip.

Oh Kyo . . .


	2. Being the Monster

Chapter 2

Being the Monster

 _I don't know when I started realizing that the beads clung around my wrist. They were just always there, like my fingernails or hair . . . Though sometimes they were uncomfortable. My hand would fall a sleep if I slept on them by accident and it would leave red little makes on my wrist._

 _Sometimes . . . I wanted to snap it._

Kyo's life became a routine of watching his mother, and simply living. She would put him in the highchair while she worked in the kitchen, giving him a few Cheerios to keep him busy. She talked to him, and her voice made him smile, but when she smiled back at him, she always wore a sad smile. Kyo, so young to the world, noticed that there was something not happy about the expression. But he still liked his mother. She was kind to him. He liked it when she was around.

The other, his father, he didn't like so much. His father was always angry. He was even more angry when Kyo cried. He yelled a lot and Kyo didn't like that sound. It made his mother cry. All three of them were unhappy and . . . Kyo on his own learned that crying wasn't working. Nothing got better when he cried, except sometimes his mother came. He liked his mother. But most of the time, even when his mother came, there was still screaming from his father. He didn't like when his father yelled at his mother.

So . . . Kyo stopped crying.

He would stare out into nothing, a blank expression on his face.

Quite.

"Momma . . . can you say Momma?" his mother asked him as she took a break from making dinner.

Kyo blinked at her.

"Momma?" she had her fake smile on.

Somehow Kyo knew it was fake, but he smiled in return to please her.

"Oh Kyo," she said and kissed his forehead. "You are such a quite child." She went back to cooking.

Kyo moved his arm across the little table attached to the highchair. It made a clicking sound as his beads rolled across it.

His beads . . .

He was always fascinated by the bracelet that clung to his wrist. He'd like to look at them.

Red . . .

White . . .

Then red again . . .

And white again . . .

And again . . .

And again . . .

Click! Click! Click! He smacked his arm on the table.

"What is it Kyo?" his mother looked up.

Kyo blinked at her.

She sighed. "Don't take those off Kyo . . ." she warned.

Don't take them off.

Never.

When he first started to learn to grab things, he'd pull on the bracelet, stretching the elastic. That was amusing. He liked how funny it looked all stretched out.

But his mother didn't like that.

She would smack him lightly and say, "Don't do that Kyo! Don't touch them!" There was panic in her voice every time she said that. Kyo could hear it. His mother was afraid of the beads.

He shouldn't touch them. He liked his mother. Even when she smacked him, it wasn't hard. He would hardly feel it. She never hurt him.

His father smacked hard. When his father caught him playing with his beads. He would yell and scream and hit him.

He scared Kyo.

Then his mother would come running and sobbing and scream for him to stop. They would fight a lot.

It was his fault.

Don't touch the beads.

"Papa's almost home," his mother said.

Papa . . . He didn't like Papa. He made a frown on his pudgy face.

His father came in through the door, taking off his coat.

"Welcome home," his mother said brightly . . . but that was a fake 'brightly' too . . . .

"I have a really bad headache . . ." his father said. He hung up his coat and took off his shoes, then he sat at the table, his hateful eyes falling on Kyo. Kyo glared back at him.

"Hey," he said. "Aimi, the kid's making faces."

She looked over her shoulder to see Kyo's scrunched up face. "Maybe his diaper needs to be changed. Could you do it? My hands are full right now."

His father hit the table hard to show his annoyance before getting up.

No.

No, Kyo didn't want his father to pick him up. He screamed.

"DAMMIT! CAN YOU EVER BE QUITE?!" His father cried out over the noise, holding his head with a hand.

He forgot to stay quite. He tried to be quite again, but his father's voice had scared him and he started to cry.

No, he wasn't suppose to be crying, but he couldn't help it.

"Ryou! Don't scream at him!"

"He screamed at me first!"

"He's only a baby!"

She went over to Kyo and picked him up from the highchair. At first Kyo thought that she might hold him, and he stopped crying immediately, but she didn't hold him close. She held him up at arms length, dangling him in the air.

She looked at him blankly, realizing that she couldn't hold him close either. She gave him to his father.

"What? I don't want him!"

" _Ryou!_ "

No . . . Kyo reached out toward his mother. Making a little nose at the amount of energy it took.

"Look he doesn't want me!"

"Ryou, would you just change his diaper?!"

"NO!" Kyo screamed.

His mother turned to him at the word and stared at Kyo for a second. It was the first word he said, but instead of noting the occasion she turned around with a sigh. "Just take him, Ryou."

Kyo screamed all the way down the hall. His father dropped him onto the changing table, and he screamed. His father checked his diaper that was clean, and Kyo screamed. His father dropped him into his crib and he screamed.

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP!?"

Kyo became quite and glared at his father, his cat eyes in slits making him look inhuman.

"Go to sleep, or just be quite,"

His father left closing the door behind him, turning off the light. Kyo reached out to one of the bars of his crib, like a prisoner in a cage.

His mother will come and get him. She always did. He could here the ticking of a clock that must have been in the room.

He waited . . . but she didn't come.

The room cast strange shadows of things that Kyo didn't understand. But they couldn't get him in his crib, right? He was safe in here . . . unless the things had hands . . . like his father. They could open cribs.

He let out a cry. A short one. Maybe only his mother would hear it and not his father.

But no one heard him.

* * *

His mother started to get more and more tired. She put Kyo in his crib more often instead of taking him with her. She'd sleep a lot too. Sometimes she aloud Kyo to snuggle up with her as a kitten, but those occasions were rare.

Kyo didn't have many toys. He had a ball. And letter blocks that he would stack and then knock down. He found this game highly amusing and would even laugh as all the blocks fell down.

His father found it annoying and he seemed to constantly trip over the blocks, the ball as well. His mother would pick up after him, but after one particular incident where there was much swearing and his father started bleeding, his mother told him to keep the toys in his room.

So in his room he was . . . alone, with falling blocks and a red ball. He could roll the ball, bounce it against the wall, and it would come back to him, but after doing that the 30th time, he started to get bored with it.

He was lonely.

Maybe his mother would play with him. Where was she now? Must be in the kitchen, for that's where she usually was.

He got up, and toddled to the door, reaching for the handle, standing on his tip toes to get it.

His mother was in the kitchen, arguing with his father. He stopped. He should go back to his room. But they weren't yelling, and his father seemed to be in an okay mood.

"Aimi! You're not well! Look at you! Look at the mirror! You're tired all the time, and you cry yourself to sleep every night! You haven't been eating well. Aimi, this child isn't good for your health! Please try to consider adaption within the family."

"Ryou . . . he's our son! We can't just . . . we can't . . ." she covered her face with her hands.

"Aimi," he took her hands. "We could always have another baby,"

"But . . .! Even if it was for the best . . . I don't know how I could give up Kyo. I can't just get rid of him!"

"Mama?"

"Kyo! I thought you were in your room. Go back there."

Instead he toddled closer.

"No Kyo, go back to your room."

"Put him to bed," said his father.

"I know, give me a minute." She picked him up at arm's length and carried him back to his room, putting him in his crib. "How about you take a nap,"

"No," Kyo said. "I want . . ." What did he want? He just wanted to be with his mother. " . . . I want Mama!"he said.

"Shh," she said, laying him down. "Go to sleep,"

"No!"

" _Kyo!_ Go to bed or Mama will get mad." She left and turned out the light.

Kyo sat in his crib, staring at the darkness. Kyo didn't know what adoption was . . . but he got the just of it. Give up . . . get rid of.

Get rid of him . . .

They were planning on getting rid of him. . . . even his mother.

He grabbed onto the bars of his crib and shook them, letting out a cry. No one heard him of course. He was angry. Angry at his father and mother and himself. How come no one wanted to hug him? Or be with him? Why did they want to 'get rid of him'? What had he done wrong?

He hated the stupid crib. He grabbed the rim of it, then pulled himself up. For a second he was on the rim, then he was tumbling over it, landing hard on the floor outside. He sat there for a second blinking. He was out when he wasn't suppose to be. He would get in trouble.

He didn't care.

He wanted his parents to be angry . . . . What else could he do to make them angry? He kicked his blocks around and left his ball in front of the door. Maybe his father would trip over it again.

What else?

His eyes fell to his hands, and he looked at his beads clinging to his wrist.

He'd take off his beads.

And run around without them on. To Kyo, it was just as bad as running around naked, which his mother had scolded him for before.

He slipped the beads off his wrist. It was easier then he thought it would be. For some reason he thought it would be hard, like there would be a barrier that kept the beads from coming off.

He stood there with his hands on his hips, thinking high of himself, until he started to feel sick. He fell to the floor and curled up into a ball, hoping that would make him feel better. Then, he got a splitting headache and he screamed.

* * *

"He's not sleeping," Ryou mumbled at the table.

"I know," said Aimi. "Maybe I should go to him."

"No, he'll never learn that way. He has to know when to go to sleep and he can't always cry to you when he's unhappy."

Aimi sighed. "But . . . just this once more . . ." Her body moved automatically, like a robot and she stood up and left the kitchen.

Ryou sighed. They had to do something about the cat. He knew it would only get worse for Aimi, the longer she tried to hold onto him. Eventually, the cat would have to be put into confinement, and then she would have no choice but to give him up. If she did it now, it would be much easier on her . . . and maybe her health would get better. She hadn't been the same ever since the baby. The whole thing made Ryou uneasy. Something wasn't right and it was hurting Aimi. It had to be the cat. They had to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Suddenly, he heard an awful scream that pierced through the air. He shot up from his seat and ran to Kyo's room.

He wrenched open the door and as soon as he did so, the smell of rotten flesh hit his face. "Aimi?!" He found her in the near corner of the room, curled up into a ball, her hands covering her face as she sobbed. Ryou whipped his head around the room and spotted the monster.

It was at the opposite corner of the room where the crib used to be, but now the crib was on its side, pushed away. The thing was in a mirrored position of Aimi, its large greenish hands covering his more elongated face. It was making unhuman like noises, that echoed from its throat, whimpering sounds. The smell was unbearable.

Aimi's sobs became more hysterical and she seemed not aware that Ryou had entered the room, but the thing did. It lifted its head from its hands, its large eyes staring at him. It took a hesitant step closer to him, the movement made Aimi scream shrilly.

"GET BACK!" Ryou cried out, grabbing the baby powder that was stilling on the night stand and throwing it at the creature. It screamed and scrambled underneath the overturned crib. "AIMI!" He fell to his knees in front of her, taking her face in his hands. "Look at me!" She turned away from him with a cry, pushing him away with her hands. In one of them was clutched the beaded bracelet. He pried it away from her fingers and went after the creature.

He kicked away the crib, exposing the monster. It gave a cry in fear and tried to scramble away, but Ryou tackled it, grabbing it by its long neck. It screeched shrilly, squirming, trying to get free. Ryou then grabbed its arm, releasing its neck, and sliding the bracelet over the big claw.

He transform backed immediately. He was then the three year old boy with the ginger hair, his arm in his father's death grip, and tears staining his pudgy cheeks.

"You . . ." his father growled at him. " _Never_ take off those beads again! You hear me?!" Kyo didn't answer right away, still trying to grasp what had happened to him . . . . This was different then when he turned into a cat. "Are you listening?!" his father cried out when he didn't answer right away, striking him across his face.

Kyo let out a cry in pain, nodding his head yes, while still trying to pull away from his father. "You won't do it again?" His father let go of his arm, and Kyo curled up into a ball, nodding his head.

"Yes . . ."

"Good." Ryou went back to Aimi. "Aimi, it's over. He's back to normal . . . ." Aimi lifted her head, and as soon as she saw Kyo, she scrambled over to him, and flung her arms around him. He turned into a cat, but she didn't care. Anything was better then what he had been.

* * *

Kyo found himself alone in the living room. His father was at work, he didn't have to worry about him at the moment. His mother was in the kitchen. She had changed ever since he had taken off his beads. She wasn't only tired now, she always seem to be frightened . . . as if any second, she thought he'd take off his beads again. He wouldn't take them off again! He didn't mean to do it the first time. He didn't want to make her cry.

He shouldn't keep bothering her.

He found the remote for the TV. He'd seen his father use it. He pushed all the buttons until he found the on button.

The TV flipped on and an old black and white horror film turned on.

"IT'S A MONSTER! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" The black and white lady screamed as she ran down the hall. The thing chasing her limped after her, its arms stretched out as if reaching for help. It was hard to see what it really looked like because it was so dark.

Suddenly there was a man there, and he wrapped the woman up in his arms. "Get behind me," he said. Then he pointed his gun at the monster and started shooting at it.

Kyo winced at every bullet that came out of the gun.

"Kyo!?" his mother came rushing into the room, and turned off the TV. "Kyo, don't touch that!"

Kyo blinked. "Why?"

"TV's not good for you," she said. "And Momma has a headache." She was about to go back to the kitchen

"Momma?"

"Yes honey?"

"Are they gonna shoot me?"

She stopped, standing still, her eyes wide, staring at nothing. "What?"

"Are they gonna shoot me? 'Cause I'm a monster?"

"No!" She knelt down to him and took his shoulders. "Of course not! You're not a monster! Don't ever think that!" she gave him a gentle shake. "Ok?!" her voice was almost hysterical and her eyes threaten to show tears. Kyo nodded his head quickly. He didn't want her to be scared or cry. "Ok . . . don't play with the TV anymore, Kyo."

Kyo's life was filled with don'ts.

Don't do that . . .

Then what could he do? He wasn't aloud to do anything. He was hardly allowed to exist. He sat there and stared off into space. Maybe it was because he _was_ a monster. That was why his mother was afraid, and his father hated him.

It was a sad, lonely existence.


	3. The Boar

Chapter 3

The Boar

 _Kagura was my first friend I ever had. She was so new to me, and she showed me so many new things. I had never had a playmate before, and I latched on to her like a shadow. That time together really did mean a lot to me. I guess . . . maybe I should have done something. Try harder to keep us together, but I guess I figured I didn't deserve it. I sure don't deserve a lot of things._

Kyo sat in his stroller as his mother pushed him down the path. Today had been a better day than usual. It was Sunday and his mother had made fried eggs. His mother always made something nice on Sunday morning. His father didn't have to work on Sundays either and that put him in a good mood. His parents didn't fight as much, and now they were taking a walk in the park. It was a nice day too. The sun was shining brightly.

His mother stopped the stroller and knelt in front of it, preparing to unstrap Kyo, but before she did, she looked at him in the eye. "Now Kyo, if I let you play, do you promise me you were come back to this spot as soon as it get's dark?"

Kyo nodded his head.

" _Promise_?" she used the voice that showed her desperately. The voice gave him the feeling if he disobeyed, the world will fall and everyone would died and it would be his fault. The kind of voice she used when she talked about his beads.

"Don't speak to anyone. Don't touch anyone and don't even go near anyone! Ok?! Especially if it is a girl!"

Kyo nodded again.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked his father.

She unstrapped him and looked up. "Most of the kids here are Sohma children. I'm sure no harm will come."

"Harm can still come Aimi! And not every one in the Sohma Family knows everything about the Sohma family!"

"Well that makes loads of sense, now doesn't it Ryou?"

Kyo climbed out of his stroller and looked around. He saw other kids running around and chasing each other. He had to go somewhere were there weren't other people, like his mother said.

"Aimi, is that you?!" a woman that Kyo didn't know strolled over to his mother. "It is you! I haven't seen you in ages! What have you been doing all this time?!"

"Oh! Well!" His mother looked away as if she was trying to hide her face. His father just stared wordlessly ahead. "You see, it's been complicated."

"And how have you been, Ryou?"

Kyo stumbled away without his parents noticing. He wondered off until he found himself in a garden, the walls and bushes hiding himself from everyone else. He picked up and stick and walked down the stone path, dragging the stick as he went.

It made a sizzling noise as the wood rubbed against the stone. He felt an excitement being alone. It wasn't like being alone in his room. This was a new place. A strange mysterious place. He wondered if anything hid in the bushes or the flowers. What if there were monsters?

He held up his stick like a sword. It was ok though, because he was a monster too. Maybe the other monsters would leave him alone. He shouldn't be afraid.

But he kept his stick anyway, just in case.

After he was tired of walking, he plopped down in the sand, tracing pictures with his stick. He stopped when he thought he heard a sound. What if the monsters didn't know he was a monster too? What if they tried to eat him?!

He'd know . . . ! He'd draw them an offering so they wouldn't be hungry. What did monsters like to eat? What did he eat? He had fried eggs that morning, so he'll draw the monster fried eggs. He like fried eggs. They had a funny shape and it was fun to draw them in the sand.

"Kyo-chan? You're the _cat_ , right Kyo-chan?"

Kyo looked up from his drawing and saw a girl staring at him from the stone path. She had shoulder length dark hair and dark eyes, wearing a pink dress and black shoes. She gave a sweet little smile.

"Me, I'm Kagura."

Oh no! It wasn't a monster at all! It was worse! A girl! If his mother knew how close he was to a girl . . . ! He pushed himself up and started to run from her as fast as he could.

"Huh?! Why are you running away?!" He didn't get very far before she tackled him. She had longer legs then him, and could run faster. She grabbed him by one of his legs and dragged him back to where they originally were. She was a lot stronger than he was as well.

"Sh-she-she'll get mad! My mom . . . says I shouldn't talk to strangers," he said into the ground, dirt getting into his mouth.

"She won't get mad! I'm _like you!_ I'm in the _Zodiac!_ I'm the _boar!_ " She let go of his leg, and Kyo sat up, pulling his legs to his chest. The Zodiac? What was that? How did that have anything to do with him? And how did she know his name or what his mother would think? And what was a boar? It sounded like whatever it was, could eat Kyo.

But if she was telling the truth . . . maybe it was ok . . . . He wanted to believe that. He liked that idea more than the idea of his mother finding out he had been with a girl.

Or maybe she was lying to him, and was _trying_ to get him in trouble. Maybe if he ignored her, she'd go away.

"Hey, what were you drawing? Fried eggs?"

Kyo picked up his stick again and started playing in the dirt with it.

Kagura looked around. "Do you always play by yourself? Don't you have any friends?" Kagura looked at him when he didn't answer. He had the stick in his fist and was wordless making a squiggly line in the sand. His face covered by he's knees and the sun shined off his bright orange hair.

Then a breeze swept by them as she looked down at him, putting her hands on her knees. "What else do you like, Kyo-chan? What's you're favorite TV show?"

Finally Kyo spoke, and mumbled words fell out of his small mouth. "I don't watch TV. Mom says . . . it's full of bad things. She get's mad . . . when I watch it."

The wind began to blow again. Kyo refused to make eye contacted with the girl. He was going to get in so much trouble, especially now that he had talked to her.

"Say . . ." she said. She bent her head over him so that the tips of her dark hair brushed the top of his head. "Want _me_ to play with you?"

Play with him? No one had offered to play with him before. His mother hardly ever even played with him! He lifted his head, his checks blushed with excitement. "Really?!"

Her lips twitched into a small smile, before she gave him a full out grin. "Yeah! Of course really! Starting today . . . I'll be with you!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. "I'll _always_ be at your side!"

He laughed as they ran together.

"Be careful!" Kagura called over her shoulder. "You don't want the Kaiju to get you!"

"What's a Kaiju?!" Kyo asked huffing.

Kagura stopped and turned around. "It's a horrible strange beast! I've been running from it for ages, waiting for my samurai to come and slay it! Hey, you have a sword," she said, pointing at Kyo's stick. "Are you my samurai that has come to save me?"

"I don't know . . ." Kyo said slowly, a little confused. He hadn't even realized that they had started 'playing' yet.

"Of course you are!"

"I'm not sure if I'm brave enough . . ."

"I believe that you are!" Kagura cried out, crashing to her knees and taking Kyo's hands. "Oh please, kind sir! Don't leave me here to die!"

"Well . . ." said Kyo holding up his stick. His sleeve fell down his wrist a little and he could see the red and white beads. "I do have a secret power . . . ."

"Really!? Oh thank you, samurai-san! Thank you! The beast is over there!" She pointed to a near by bush.

"Ok," Kyo said looking at the bush. He took a step forward, then he turned back to Kagura. "You better take my hand," he said nervously. "Just in case." He offered his hand and Kagira grasped it with a smile. Together, step by step, they moved to the bush.

"I saw it move," whispered Kagura to Kyo, and the bush did move.

Kyo, shaking slightly, raised his sword. "Kaju . . . I will slay you . . . ." He tapped the bush with his stick, and a rabbit flew out of it, startling both Kyo and Kagura. They both screamed and flew there arms around each other, falling to the ground. Once they were done screaming, they started laughing.

"And the great samurai, scared the Kaju away, saving the princess!" Kagura announced, sitting up, her arms still around Kyo.

Kyo took her arms and held each in one hand looking at them strangely.

"What's the matter, samurai-san?"

"It's just that . . . when ever my mom get's this close to me . . . I . . . um, nevermind."

"Oh . . . that. I thought I already told you! I'm the boar!"

Kyo blinked at her.

She sighed. "From the Zodiac? Do you even know what the Zodiac is?"

Kyo shook his head.

"Where have you been all your life?!"

"I-"

"Well," Kagura interrupted. "In our family, as in the whole Sohma family, not just our parents. In our WHOLE family, there are 12, not counting you, who are cursed with the zodiac. And we all turn into animals. You know how you turn into a cat when your mom hugs you?"

Kyo nodded, wondering how she seemed to know everything. She had to be the smartest girl in the world!

"Well, I turn into a boar when my daddy hugs me!"

" . . . I don't turn into a boar when my dad hugs me . . . not that he'd ever hug me."

"Of course not, silly. _I'm_ the boar. Only I turn into a boar! And you only turn into a cat. And it only works if a girl hugs you. And it only works if a boy hugs me!"

Now this made no sense to Kyo. He could turn into something else besides a cat . . . but maybe Kagura wasn't talking about that . . . .

"But, Kagura-neechan," Kyo said, and Kagura seemed to glow when he said her name. "You're a girl."

"Oh, well I don't count cause we're both cursed. We're both from the Zodiac."

"Momma's not part of the Zodac?"

"Nope, neither is your dad. I've seen the others. All of us, 'cept for the cat, have to see each other on new years. We don't have to see you, because you're different . . . but you're still part of the curse."

"This is really confusing," Kyo said.

"Yeah it is . . . but the important thing is that we're friends and we can hug each other!"

"Yeah, ok!" Kagura was Kyo's first friend. He felt connected to her in a way that he'd never felt connected to his parents. All his life it had just been the three of them. But now there was Kagura, and she said they were part of the same thing. This Zodiac thing . . . . They were the same."Kagura-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you have beads?"

"Hmm?"

Kyo took her wrists and pushed up on her sleeves. Kyo stared disappointedly at here bare wrists.

"I have lots of beads at home! Do you want me to bring them when we see each other tomorrow?"

"We'll see each other tomorrow?"

"Sure! You live 'Outside,' right?"

"Um . . . I live in a house . . . ."

"No! I know that, silly! I meant outside of the estate!"

" . . . What's the estate?"

"Well, you sure don't live 'inside' so you must be outside! I'll ask my mom where you live, and I'll come get you!"

"Ok . . . you promise? You won't forget?"

"Why would I forget?"

"Sometimes my mom forgets things and doesn't remember to do them."

"I'll remember, don't worry!" Kagura smiled, and Kyo believed her.

* * *

"Kyo, what did I tell you about leaving your toys in the living room? Please bring them into your room! Mama's very busy. "

Kyo had left them out so that he could show Kagura. He asked his mother if anyone was coming over today, and she said no. Maybe she had forgotten . . . . He started picking up his blocks. He heard a tapping noise at the window. He look through the glass and saw Kargura waving at him outside, no sign of her mother. How did she get in his back yard?

The backdoor hadn't been locked, and Kagura slowly slid it open. "Come on Kyo-chan!" she whispered.

"But what about my mom?"

"We won't be long. She won't even know you've been gone!"

Kyo looked at his mother. She had stopped trying to clean and was on the phone now, one hand rubbing her head as if she had a headache. She been getting those a lot, and always told Kyo to keep to his room when she wasn't feeling well.

"Maybe . . ." he said.

"Yeah, come on!" she took Kyo's arm and dragged him outside.

"Where are we going?!" Kyo cried out in a loud whisper as they left Kyo's yard.

"Don't worry! I do this all the time!"

Kyo grasped Kagura's arm tightly. "What if we get in trouble!" Kagura gave him a sly smile, but didn't say anything.

They went to a grassy hill, where they could see houses below. "See?" Kagura said. "There's the main estate! I live there!" she pointed to the group of houses surrounded by a wall. "There's a secret way to get through the wall. I'll show you sometime. And look! There's you house, Kyo-chan! I asked my mom where you lived. She thought it was a weird question and I told her it was a secret. What do you want to do, Kyo-chan?"

"I don't know . . ." he mumbled.

"You don't have any game ideas?"

"I'm not used to playing with other people."

"Ok then. Lets . . . play . . . husband and wife!"

"What's that?"

"That's when we pretend to get marry. You're the husband, and I'm the wife!"

"What's marry?"

Kagura sighed at him again and he looked away apologetically. "It's what parents do when they want kids. Your parents are married, and then they got you!"

"Why did they get married then?"

"Why? I just said, so they could get you!"

"But my parents don't want me. I know that."

"Silly, all parents want their kids! They have to, they can't help it."

"Not my dad . . . and I think sometimes my mom too."

"Well, my mom said, that sometimes when they're mad, and say things that sound like that, they don't mean it. They can't help but love you even if it doesn't look like it."

"Ok . . ." Kyo said, though he didn't quite believe her.

"First we need a wedding, and to have a wedding, we need lots of flowers! Let's gather some!"

Kyo smiled. "Ok!"

They went around, picking flowers, and choosing their favorites. Some of them were weeds, but the two children didn't know the difference and thought every one was beautiful. Kagura put them together.

"It's a beautiful bouquet, Kyo-chan! Here, the groom gets to put a flower in his button hole.

"The groom? I thought I was the husband."

"You're not a husband yet. First you have to be a groom. Then after you're a husband, then you're a daddy."

"Oh . . . I don't have a button hole either."

"Hmm . . . you're right. Here," She stuck the flower behind his ear. "There!" He blinked and she giggled at his expression. "Ok, this can be the alter!" she said as she went over to a large rock. "You stand here, and I'll walk down the aisle." Kyo stood by the rock, and Kagura ran off.

Kyo stared after her, wonder where she went, but then she came back, holding her flowers, closing her eyes and walking slowly back toward him. She was humming a little tune, and she stopped as soon as she was next to him, and opened her eyes.

"Kyo-san, do you agree to take Kagura-san to be your wife?"

Kyo nodded.

"You have to say I do," she whispered.

"Oh, I mean I do."

"Now ask me," she whispered again.

"Do you want me to be the husband?"

"I do, Kyo-chan!" she cried out in delight, and Kyo blushed a little. "Now we have to kiss."

" . . . Ok." Kyo said. Kagura was looking at him strangely and Kyo didn't know why.

Then Kagura closed her eyes and leaned forward. Kyo thought this meant he was suppose to kiss her, so he pressed his lips against her's.

"Are we married now?"

Kagura still had her eyes closed, and her small sly smile was on her lips again. Then she open her eyes. "You've just giving me my first kiss, Kyo-chan!"

Kyo blinked at her in surprise. "You're mom's never kissed you before!" and Kyo thought _his_ mom didn't want him.

"No, Silly!" she gave him a playful shove. "My first kiss from a _boy!_ "

"Oh, well my dad doesn't kiss me either. He hates me."

"No he doesn't! And he won't count either. Kisses from parents don't count."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I don't know everything!"

"You don't?"

"Nope," she said. "But I do know that your dad doesn't hate you."

"Yes, he does! But it's ok cause I hate him, too!"

Kagura looked at Kyo's innocent little face and laughed. "I don't think you're capable of hating anything, Kyo-chan."

"Well, I hate my dad," Kyo said, crossing his arms and falling to the ground. Kagura sat next to him with a frown on her face. "But I love my mom," Kyo said quickly. "And . . . I don't mean to make her sad all the time. And I love you, too Kagura-chan!"

Kagura blinked at him. "Love and hate are strong words, Kyo-chan"

Kyo only blinked at her back.

"Well . . . we have to eat our wedding cake then!" She took out two onigure from her pocket and passed one to Kyo.

"Wow, Kaguru-chan! Thank you!" he took a bite.

"Do you like it? I picked the cod one, 'cause I thought you'd like it the best since you're the cat."

Kyo nodded. "Kagura-chan? What's a boar?"

" _I_ am!" Kagura cried out, taking a bit of offense.

"Oh, I knew that." Kyo said, wondering if a boar was just a girl like Kagura. "Are we really always gonna be together?"

"Sure, why wouldn't we be?"

"I was just making sure. I always want to be with my mom too. Maybe you can come and live with us instead of my dad."

She laughed. "I have to stay with my parents! But I'll come and get you as much as I can, so that we can play together."

"Ok! I like playing with you."

"I like playing with you, too."

Kagura brought Kyo home. "I'll come get you soon," she said, then skipped away.

They hadn't been gone long, no more than a half an hour. Kyo stumbled into his house through the back glass sliding door.

"KYO!" His mother cried when he heard him in the living room. The first thing she did was check to make sure he still had his beads on. "Where were you!?' she cried out, trying to keep herself from getting hysterical.

"I was playing outside," Kyo said, not actually lying.

"Well, ask me first if you want to go outside! I couldn't find you anywhere, and I called and called! Why didn't you hear me?"

"I'm sorry," he said in a pathetic voice and his mother had no choice, but to forgive him.

"Ok," she said, giving his wrist on more look as if she forgot she had already checked.

Kagura came to get Kyo often, taking him to the same place over and over again. Sometimes she brought things with her. Once she brought a picture book, though Kagura herself couldn't read, she made a good job telling the story by looking at the pictures. Every time Kagura came, Kyo would ask his mother if he could play outside. She'd let him, though she had no idea that he left the yard with Kagura. Every time he came back inside, his mother would check to make sure he still had the beads. Kyo began to wonder if she really cared for his safety, or just the stupid beads safety. What if instead of losing the beads, he himself was lost? But then again, his mother never knew he was actually leaving.


	4. Akito

Chapter 4

Akito

 _How is it that a 7 year old could seem so terrifying? Why is it that I cared so much of what Akito thought of me? Akito wasn't important. I hardly knew him. Who cared?_

 _I did. I cared._

Today was different.

"He want's to see the Cat," Kyo heard his father say last night. If Kyo was the cat . . . who was 'he'? His mother had seemed somewhat upset by the news, and now, the next morning, she was scrambling all over the house. She had given Kyo a bath, then dressed him in nicer clothes and combed his orange hair. Kyo stood still as his mother tried to make herself ready. She told him not to get dirty. Every once in awhile, she stopped to scrub at his face, as if it became dirty in the two seconds she had taken her eyes off of him.

Once that was over, his mother took his hand, and they went out the door. "Where are we going?" asked Kyo as his mother put him in a stroller. She didn't answer him, and Kyo thought she must not have heard him. Kyo squinted in the sunlight, trying to see around him. He soon found himself staring at a huge wall with two big doors. He recognized the color of the stone. This was the wall that surrounded the estate! Maybe they were going to visit Kagura! He grew excited. Maybe his mom could meet her too! The three of them would all be together!

The big doors opened and his mother pushed him inside. Kyo looked around wildly, trying to find Kagura, but all he saw where empty looking houses. No one was outside, and it didn't seem like anyone lived here at all, it was so quite. The only sound was his mother's footsteps and the squeaking of the stroller.

They came to a house that was the biggest, and his mother took him out of the stroller. Scarlet flowers bounced their heads in the wind. Kyo stared at them for a moment before his mother brought him inside. She took off their shoes, and they stood there for another moment before a middle aged woman met them. The woman looked down on Kyo distastefully, as if she wanted to spit at him. Kyo hid behind his mother's leg, trying to figure out what he had done to make the woman angry at him.

The woman then turned her gaze to his mother, still with her ugly frown on her face. His mother glared at her in return. "There's not doubt about him," said the woman. "That's the cat alright. Akito-san is very kind to invite such a thing to his home."

"I rather get this over with," answered his mother.

The woman made a sound of indifference, before turning around and leading the way. Kyo followed his mother hesitantly. He didn't like this place. Is this really where Kagura lived? He hoped that woman wasn't Kagura's mother. She was not a nice person.

They arrived at a plain looking room. Kyo looked for Kagura again but still, he could not find her. "The Cat can wait for Akito-san here. He will arrive shortly. The head of the family requests Aimi-san's company for tea while the . . . two become acquainted with each other." The woman obviously thought this whole thing was a waste of time.

Kyo's mother knelt to him. "I'll be back in a little while," she said.

"You're going?!" Kyo said in a panic. He didn't want to be by himself in this scary place, especially if that woman was here, and he still wanted his mother to meet Kagura.

"Only for a little while," his mother said again. "Then I'll be right back. Don't worry, some one's coming to make friends with you."

The other woman made a noise at the word 'friends' and then she and his mother left. Kyo immediately thought of Kagura when his mother had said friends, so as Kyo waited there in the room, he was sure that Kagura would greet him.

But as the door slid open, it wasn't Kagura at all. There was someone, a little older than him, wearing a bight scarlet and white kimono, with black shaggy hair and dark black eyes. The red color reminded Kyo of the flowers outside. He thought it looked beautiful. Kyo couldn't tell as first if the person was a girl of a boy. Whoever it was stared at him as if he or she had never seen anything like Kyo before.

"It's the monster . . ." Kyo caught his breath and at once saw that his secret was exposed. How did this person know this? This person . . . gave Kyo a feeling of sadness. As if Kyo was once connected to this person, but not anymore. Now Kyo was a nothing . . . Worse than nothing. He was despised. "You're not gonna eat me, right monster?"

Kyo, with eyes cast to the floor shook his head no.

"Akito . . ." said a boy who stood beside him. He was older, maybe 14, with black hair the fell neatly over his eyes.

"Because if you eat me," continued Akito. "Shigure will kill you."

"Akito . . ." the boy said again. Kyo realized that older boy was Shigure. "I'm sure he's not going to _eat_ you."

Akito flashed his eyes at Shigure. "How would you know! If he did would you let me die!? Would you not kill him!?"

"I didn't say that," Shigure said calmly. "I will never let any harm come to you, Akito."

Akito seemed satisfied with that answer, for he turned his attention back to Kyo. "Hmm . . . you look pretty normal to me, Kyo."

Kyo felt a little relief from the remark. He didn't want Akito, in his beautiful red robe to hate him. He also felt relief by being called Kyo instead of monster, though he didn't know how Akito knew his name.

"Except for that hair . . ."

Then Kyo became self conscious about his hair. It seemed whatever came out of the small boy's mouth, meant everything.

"Come over here," Akito ordered and Kyo did so, his eyes still at his feet. "Hmm . . . you don't talk much do you?"

Kyo didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.

"You must be stupid," Akito said. "Do you know who I am?"

Kyo shook his head, his face red.

"I'm God of the Zodiac. I'm your master," he said a matter of factly. "But don't worry stupid little monster . . ." Akito bent his head so that he could look into Kyo's eyes. "I'm very kind." He gave him a smile and ruffled Kyo's hair. "I'm glad we met. So . . ." Akito straightened up. "Why do they call you a monster?"

Kyo balled his hands into fists and he trembled a little. He still couldn't bring himself to speak.

Akito took Kyo's hand and look carefully at the beads on his wrists. "Did you know these beads are magic? What happens if you take them off?"

"No!" cried out Kyo, making the first sound since his mother had left. "Please, don't."

"Don't be so scared!" Akito laughed. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just . . . want to see." There was still a smile on Akito's face as he began to slip the beads off of Kyo's wrist. Kyo slapped his free hand over Akito's and looked at Akito's face pleadingly.

Akito felt a stab of anger at Kyo's resistance, and ripped the bracelet off.

"Wait! Don't look at me!" Kyo screamed in a panic. He couldn't make it stop. He could only watch helplessly at Akito's eyes. They were surprised, as if he didn't know that this would happen.

Kyo clutched at his head and screamed. His clothes ripped away. It was happening again. He was scared.

"This is Kyo's true form?" Akito asked, still holding on to Kyo's beads.

True form . . . ? Did that mean, Kyo wasn't really human? He was really this creature and only pretending to be human?

"His body's all warped and ugly."

He was ugly . . .

"And what's that smell? He smells terrible. It smells like something's rotting." Akito dropped the beads so that he could cover his noise with his scarlet kimono. The beads hit the wooden floor loudly. The sound seemed to echo in Kyo's head. "It this . . . the cat's spirit's . . .?" Akito made a coughing noise. "It's disgusting."

Kyo felt that his insides had broken. He was ugly. He could tell by looking at his warped hands. And he did smell horrible. He felt as if he'd throw up by his own smell.

But being told this, by someone in such a beautiful scarlet color, made him want to break something.

"Ugh . . . Shigure, I think I regret talking the beads off," Akito said.

Kyo felt a stab of anger and couldn't control himself. He let out an inhuman cry, bearing his teeth. Akito's eyes went wide, and he jumped back, closing the door of the room between them. Kyo heard his running foot steps, then a sigh as Shigure walked away too.

Once they were gone, Kyo let out a sob. Why was he like this? He curled up into a ball to keep himself from getting sick. Maybe he didn't belong here. Maybe he should run away and never see anyone ever again.

But he didn't want that. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted someone to be with him, to love him, and not care. Mostly he just wanted to be normal.

He laid there in a ball, crying, until eventually he turned back to a boy. He didn't even notice, he was so miserable.

The door opened, and Kyo sat up. He didn't want anyone to see him cry. Crying was bad, but it was only his mother.

"Kyo . . . What's wrong? Did something happen again?"

It did happen again. He didn't want to say anything, worried he'd continue crying, though it was obvious enough.

"Did Akito say something? It's alright. Mommy loves you." She had her fake smile on.

"Akito said . . ." Kyo tried, but it came out in a sob. He stopped, hoping his mother wouldn't notice. Then, " Akito said I'm a monster."

His mother's fake smile faded for a second, but was back. She bent her head down as if to look at him, but it only allowed her hair to cover her face. "Akito's wrong. You are human, like everyone else. You're just under an evil spell for a little while that makes you turn into that." She knelt in front of him. "As proof, look . . . you changed right back. It's alright."

He had changed back, now that he looked. He looked up at his mother, the smile still on her face. He tried to smile back, but couldn't do it. "I'm scared," he finally said.

"I'm not scared one bit," she said as she started to gather his clothes, a slight tremor in her voice. "Here," she gave him back his beads. "As long as you wear these, you'll never turn into that."

Kyo took them and put them back on his wrist.

* * *

The next day, Kyo seemed hallower. He sat there and stared off into space. His mother seemed to notice this, because she'd give him ice cream for dinner and didn't leave him alone for a second, repeating how much she loved him over and over again. Kyo found this behavior somewhat weird. He didn't mind it, but something about it wasn't right. "You're my son and I'm proud of you," she said when he asked.

Another thing that had changed was that she wouldn't let him go outside anymore. Kyo would stare out the window. "Can I go outside?"

"Why don't you stay inside, today," she said mixing some cookie batter.

"Why don't you want me to go outside anymore?"

"You're so cute, I won't let anyone see you."

'I won't let anyone see you' . . . Because she was afraid, wasn't she . . . ? Kyo let his hands slide down the glass. He missed Kagura. He loved his mother, but Kagura was the only one that didn't know. She didn't know about his 'true form'.

"Why does everyone hate me so much . . . ?"

His mother hesitated, then said, "If it would help you, your mother would die for you." She gave him a smile, before returning her attention back to the batter.

Kyo stared at her. What did she mean by that? Why would she have to die for any reason?

"Kyo, come over here. I'll give you a piece of cookie doh."

* * *

Kagura tapped on the window. It surprised Kyo so much that he fell backwards. He looked around wildly to make sure his mother wasn't nearby. She was in the bathroom. Kagura tried to open the door, but it was locked. She gave Kyo a weird look, and mouthed the words 'It's locked. Open it.'

Kyo waved his arms around, trying to show that he couldn't.

Kagura narrowed her eyes at him and shouted "Why?!" her voice was muffled.

'Mom,' Kyo mouthed and pointed at the bathroom.

She seemed to think for a second, before coming up with an idea. She motioned him to follow her, and ran along the side of the house, to Kyo's bedroom window. Kyo climbed up onto the window. It was open with the screen across it since it was hot.

"Kyo!" cried Kagura, spinning around in a circle. "I haven't seen you in weeks!"

"I'm being locked up," Kyo explained.

"Why?"

"I think it might be because I got Akito mad at me . . . ."

"You met Akito!?"

"Yeah . . . " Kyo swallowed. He didn't want to have to tell Kagura everything that had happened.

"Well come out, and tell me about it!"

"I'm locked up, remember?"

Kagura sighed. "You see that sign by the window? It has a red circle around it and then a line going through it."

Kyo looked and found the warning sign of a baby falling through the screen.

"It tells you just how to escape!"

"I thought that red circle with the slash through it meant not to do that . . ."

"You can listen to a stupid sign and your mom, or you can listen to me. Don't worry, you won't get hurt. And if I have to catch you, I will."

Kyo sighed, closed his eyes, and pushed through the screen. It broke and he let out a cry as he fell out of the house. Kagura didn't catch him, for she was hit with the falling screen and was startled.

"Quick!" she said. "Hide to make sure your mom doesn't find you!" They hid in some bushes, but his mother must not have heard the crash, for she never came.

"Now, tell me what happened!" Kagura said.

"I don't know . . . I don't know what I did wrong."

"Yeah, Akito's like that. He hates me too, I think."

"Really?" Kyo's eyes lit up at that.

"Yeah, my mom brought me over once for a 'play date'. Things were fine in the beginning. We were playing with some toys, and then we both wanted the same one . . . . Lots of screaming and hair pulling. We stay away from each other now. The only time I see him is at New Years, and even then, it's not like we talk to each other."

"I never want to see Akito again . . . . You're brave Kagura . . . I wished I pulled on Akito's hair."

Kagura smiled. "He hit my face until it was bright pink though!"

"I hate Akito," Kyo said. "And that other guy . . . Shigure something . . . he just stood there and did nothing."

"Shigure? Oh, he's the dog! Yeah, I doubt he'd do anything. He's the most laziest person ever! But he's not that bad."

"Well I hate him, too." As Kyo thought about it . . . it used to be his mother and his father. His father hated him . . . but his Mother loved him . . . . So that was equal. Then Kagura came, making it more people that loved him then hate him . . . but Akito hated him. And maybe even Shigure. That meant more people hated him than loved him.

This darkened his mood.

He made a frown.

"Oh, come on Kyo-chan! Don't be so down! I know! We can get back at Akito!"

"How . . . ?"

"Huh . . . I don't know. But I know how to get you inside the main estate!"

Kyo sighed. "I don't know if I want to go back there."

"But I'll be there! It won't be scary at all!"

"Hmm . . . alright. But if we see Akito, you gotta pull on his hair or something, because I might just run away."

Kagura laughed and took his arm.

They arrived at the huge Sohma wall. Kyo looked at it, its huge gates closed off to the rest of the world. "I don't know Kagura. I don't know how you expect us to get in there."

Kagura took Kyo's arm and pulled him into the bushes. "Do you want to get caught?!" she hissed. "This way," they followed the wall until the found a small hole leading inside. "This is how I go in and out," Kagura explained. She pushed Kyo through the hole and crawled inside after him.

"What if Akito finds us?"

"Don't worry, he won't. He never comes outside. Come on!" Kagura dragged Kyo around, keeping to the bushes. "That's Hatori's house!" she pointed. "And that one's Momiji's house!" Kyo didn't know who these people were, but he let Kagura dragged him along. He felt excitement breaking the rules like this with her. "AND THIS ONE'S MINE!"

"Wow! Really!?"

"Yeah, but we shouldn't go in. If my mom sees you she'll get real mad at me for kidnaping you!" she laughed.

Kyo blinked. "You're kidnaping me?"

"Practically," she answered.

They wondered to the main house, keeping to the walls so that no one could see them through the windows. "So," Kagura whispered. "What do you want to do to get back at Akito!?"

Kyo gasped. "I don't want him to get mad me!"

"He won't know it was you. If anything, he'd get mad at me, but I'm not afraid of him."

"Still . . ."

"We could throw mud into his room . . ." Kagura said peering through a window.

"But . . ." Kyo looked away nervously.

Kagura laughed and threw a wad of dirt at him. It hit his head and exploded into a cloud of dust. He stood there for a second as if trying to comprehend what happened. Then he threw a dirt clod at her.

She screamed and ran away laughing.

"Wait up!"

They chased each other, making a mess of themselves. Once they were good and dirty, Kagura took a few dirt clods, and threw them into an open window of the main house. She wasn't sure if that was Akito's room or not but at least they got some part of Akito's house dirty. "There," she said. "Operation getting back at Akito is completed!"

"Yeah . . ." Kyo said, still looking around nervously.

"We better leave the scene of the crime so we don't get caught!" They ran back, giggling to the hole.

"Oh no." Kagura suddenly said. "What's your mom going to think when she sees you covered in dirt!?"

Kyo looked at himself then shrugged.

"We could throw you in the water . . ."

Kyo's spin shivered. He was not looking forward to getting wet.

"But then you'd be all wet . . . which is just as bad as being all dirty!" She dusted him off. "We're just going to have to make do. When you get home, change your close. Maybe she won't notice."

Kyo didn't say that he couldn't dress himself very well. He bet Kagura got dress by herself.

Kagura took Kyo home. "Good luck with your mom," she said and gave him a kiss on his dirty cheek, before scampering off.

Kyo took a deep breath. He didn't know how to hide how dirty he was, so he was just going to go in and say nothing, wait out his mother's scolding.

He then realized he didn't know how to get back into the house. The back door was locked, so he tapped on the glass. He was going to be in so much trouble, there was nothing else he could do.

It took a couple minutes, but eventually his mother saw him looking hopelessly through the window.

"KYO!" She whipped open the door and flung her arms around him. Her face was stained with tears that she had been crying for a while now. He was gone longer than when he usually went out with Kagura. She sobbed into his dirty shoulder. "WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME!? DO YOU WANT MOMMY TO BE SCARED?! DO YOU WANT TO MAKE HER CRY?!"

"No . . ." Kyo answered softly.

She pulled her face away so that she could check Kyo's beads. They were of course there.

"Why?" his mother asked again, looking him in the face.

"I wanted to play outside," Kyo said.

"You _can't_ play outside!" His mother cried out. "You can't _go_ outside!"

Kyo blinked. "Why?" He didn't understand. Why did he have to stay shut up in the house all the time? His mother wouldn't even take him outside anymore. He had to sneak out if he ever wanted to be in the sun.

She seemed taken aback by the question for a second. " _Because!_ " she sobbed. "Because . . ." she said more softly. She took Kyo by the hand, and lead him to the bathroom to give him a bath. The whole time she cried, barely able to look at him as she gently scrubbed away the dirt.

Kyo sat there in the water, not understanding.

* * *

"Kagura?"

"Hmm?" They were in Kyo's yard. His mother was napping and his father was suppose to be watching him, but he was too busy watching TV. It was easy for him to get away, but he didn't want to leave the yard. He really didn't like making his mother cry.

"What is it?" Kagura asked, looking up from her picture book.

"What's 'because'?"

"Because of what?"

"I don't know. Just because."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"My mom says I'm not suppose to be outside. She won't tell me why."

Kagura turned the page of her book.

"She gets sad all the time and I don't know why." He studied his beads. "I think there's something wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you."

"Yes there is."

"Then there must be something wrong with me, too," Kagura said.

"Uh-uh, I'm different than you."

"No you're not. We're both part of the Zodiac!"

"But you're allowed to go outside."

"Actually, my mom thinks I'm with my babysitter."

"But still. Your mom takes you out to places. I have to stay inside all the time."

Kagura gave him a long look.

"Why?"

She swallowed. "It might be because you're the cat."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know. You're different I guess. You're part of the Zodiac . . . but not really."

"Why not really?"

"I don't know. You're never at the banquets or invited to the main estate or any of that stuff. And the cat isn't in the Zodiac calendar . . . you know? There is no year of the cat."

"There isn't?"

Why wasn't Kyo part of the Zodiac? He was cursed just like them. Was it because of his beads? Was it because he was a monster?

He didn't understand this either. He didn't understand anything!

He wondered what it would be like to go to one of the banquets. Kagura had said it was like a party. It sounded fun, with all the other Zodiac laughing together. Like a big family. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to be apart of it. To be with Kagura and meet the others. To have his mother join them and laugh and not cry anymore. To get away from his father . . .

He wanted that.

* * *

"How come you always wear those beads, Kyo-chan?"

"I don't know . . ." Kyo said, not looking at her. He continued to pile rocks on top of another. It was another Sunday. His father was suppose to be watching him, and Kagura didn't have school on Sundays.

"Do you like them?"

"I guess."

Kagura smiled. "I like them too. I think they're really pretty!" Kyo never thought they had ever looked pretty. It usually made him feel sick when he looked at them.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" asked Kagura.

"Girls are always pretty," Kyo answered.

Kagura laughed. "But do _you_ think I'm pretty?"

"Sure, I guess." He didn't understand why Kagura was asking all these questions.

"Good," she answered. Kyo looked at her and she smiled. "Let's play a game!"

"I don't really feel like playing a game," Kyo said.

"What do you mean, silly? Of course you do! Be happy!"

Kyo turned back to his rocks.

Suddenly, Kagura tackled him, and they fell onto the ground. They laughed for a moment before Kyo stopped and sat up. "I should go home."

"Oh come on, Kyo-chan! We've hardly done anything! Why are you so grumpy?" She began tickling him and he started to laugh and squirm.

"Kagura-neechan, stop it!" he laughed. She smiled smugly and put her fingers over his beads.

Kyo eyes widened and he put his hand over Kagura's. "Don't!"

She laid her other hand gently over his. "Hey, just for a little! Just for a little bit . . . let me wear those beads."

"No! I can't take them off!"

"Sure you can! They're not stuck. It's not like they're glued to your skin."

His face turned red, and he tried to pull away, but Kagura's grip had always been stronger than his.

Finally she let go of his hand, but the beads were still clutched in her fists. Kyo fell to the ground knowing that it was over, but there was a small piece of hope . . . . Maybe she wouldn't care . . . maybe she would understand . . .

But no.

Kagura's deep brown eyes widened as she saw Kyo suddenly change. She stood there frozen. Kyo couldn't even tell if she was still breathing.

He stared back at her, afraid to move as well. He waited for her to say something, but when she opened her mouth, what came out was a scream.

She turned on her heel, and ran away, leaving Kyo there alone.

Kyo cried for a good half an hour. He found his beads and slipped them on before he put on the rest of his clothes. They were all ripped from when he transformed.

When he thought he couldn't cry anymore, he made his way to home.

When he arrived, his face still puffy from crying, his father sighed in relief. "There you are. Your mother would have been hysterical if she knew that you left. Are you trying to upset her?"

He wouldn't be leaving anymore.

It was over. Kagura hated him. She had screamed and ran away. She had rejected him as soon as she had known what he really was.

It didn't matter anymore.

He couldn't forgive Kagura.

His father, Akito, his mother who wouldn't let him outside . . .

He couldn't even forgive himself.

* * *

A couple days later, he heard a tapping on the window. He turned his head to see Kagura pressing her face on the glass. She mouthed the words, 'I'm sorry', but Kyo looked away. He was suppose to stay in the house.

He got up to go find his mother.


	5. Her Murder

Chapter 5

Her Murder

 _I didn't want her to leave. I didn't even see it coming. If I knew, I would have changed the way I acted. I wouldn't have sneaked outside. I wouldn't have yelled at my father._

 _I wouldn't have made her cry as much._

 _I wanted her to be happy._

 _I wanted us to stay together._

They sat around the table uncomfortably. His father was busy eating his food. His mother was only pushing it around with her chopsticks.

He wasn't eating anything either. The food was green and icky and he hated the way his father slurped it up.

"Kyo, eat your leeks," his father said.

"No," Kyo said. Kyo wasn't in a good mood. He was just getting over a cold, and hadn't slept well the last night. His mother said that this stuff would make him feel better, but he didn't care. They were gross.

"Kyo, do you know how hard your mother worked to cook you this dinner?"

Kyo didn't answer.

"You want your food just go to waste? Eat it."

"No," Kyo said again.

"Why you ungrateful little bastard . . ."

His mother's head shot up at her husband's hurtful words, but she didn't defend him. She hadn't defended him in a while. It was as if all her energy was spent.

"Eat the damn leeks!"

"No!" Kyo shouted at him.

"Don't you yell at me!"

"Go to Hell!" Kyo screamed at him.

His mother covered her ears, trying to block out the sound of her fiver year old son's voice.

" _What_ did you say to me?"

"I want you to go to Hell," Kyo said thickly.

His father got up violently and Kyo sprung up as well, jumping away from him. He chased Kyo around the house, Kyo screaming. They nocked over vases and lamps.

"Stop it . . ." his mother whimpered, but no one heard her. " . . . please."

His father eventually caught his shirt, then grabed his arm. "Let go of me!" Kyo screamed. "I hate you! I HATE YOU!"

His father struck him hard across his tiny little face. The force of it sent Kyo's head turning.

"STOP IT! GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY SON!" His mother got up, and threw her plate at his father. Kyo was too stunned to move out of the way, and as the plate crashed to the floor, some of the shattered pieces hit him.

His parents started screaming at each other. Kyo got up slowly, no one taking notice of him as he walked like a zombie to his room. Once inside, he slid the door closed and curled up into a ball, listening to the commotion outside. He couldn't comprehend what was being said. He didn't want to. He just closed his eyes, and eventually he fell asleep, feeling the sting on his cheek pressed against the floor.

* * *

When Kyo turned six, he was to be sent to school. His mother was frequently sick, so a babysitter was hired to take him there and back.

Kyo didn't want to go to school. He didn't want to meet new people. What was the point? They were just going to hate him anyway.

His babysitter brought him to say goodbye to his mother, who was still in bed. "Kyo . . ." she said, bringing a hand up to ruffle his soft orange hair. "It's your first day of school. You're such a big boy now. Are you scared?"

Kyo shook his head. "But I still don't want to go."

"Why not? School is where you learn about so many things."

Kyo looked at his mother. "Will I learn about the Zodiac?" His mother smacked him lightly on the cheek. It didn't hurt, but the motion of it startled him. "How do you know about that? Don't talk about that again!"

"I'm sorry."

"And don't touch anyone. Always keep your hands to yourself. Do you understand, Kyo?"

Kyo nodded his head.

School was scary. Kyo hated it. There was so many people around. So many people around that could hate him. It never occurred to him that anyone of these people might learn to like Kyo. He never thought it. He already had gotten his hopes up with Kagura. Once they knew what he really was, they would hate him.

So he hated them all. The teacher, the students, his babysitter. He wouldn't let anyone get close enough to touch him. He wouldn't even let the babysitter hold his hand when crossing the street. He would wail and scream until she'd giving up and let Kyo just walk quietly beside her.

Kyo made sure to watch carefully for girls. He would sit by himself during recess, watching them as if they were predators hunting him. He was sure to move away when they got too close.

He didn't care as much about the boys. If they were around, they were around. He didn't talk to them, and he wouldn't join any of the games they were playing. He was too busy watching out for girls.

Every once in awhile, some boy would not be looking where he was going, and run into him. Startled, Kyo would push them back. They would either fall to the ground crying, or retaliate by pushing as well.

Kyo was sent to time-out numerous times. It actually gave Kyo some relief. It let Kyo be alone. If he was alone, Kyo couldn't make his mother unhappy . . .

. . . or so he thought.

After a while, Kyo's mother was called.

"Kyo . . ." His mother whimpered as she knelt down to look at him. "Why do you keep getting into fights at school? That's not very nice."

"I don't try to!" he cried. "I try to stay away from them!" he felt tears in the back of his eyes, but he bit them back. He never cried. Not anymore. So all he did was turn his small face into a frown, and glared up at his mother.

"Don't fight anymore. Don't hurt people. You make Mommy very sad when you cause problems like these."

Kyo looked away. He was trying to make her happy!

* * *

Kyo sat crossed legged on the dirt of the playground, glaring at nothing. He hated recess. Maybe if he glared hard enough, it would end sooner.

A ball hit him in the head, and he winced, covering his head before spinning around to see where it had come from. "Hey, why are you so mean all the time?" asked a boy who had thrown the ball. He was with a bunch of his friends.

"Leave me alone."

"And you're always by yourself. You don't play or anything. You're really weird."

"And your hair is really weird, too. It's really orange."

"SO!?" Kyo cried.

"Well we saw your mom, and she doesn't have orange hair. You have to look like your parents. That's just the way it is," said the leader. He was bossy and thought he knew just about everything. "So, does your dad have orange hair?"

Kyo swallowed. "No."

"Then that's not right."

"What do you mean?!"

"Maybe he's not really your dad."

Kyo thought this for a second. It made sense. Kagura had once told him that parents had to love their children. They couldn't help it . . . but Kyo's father hated him.

"Yep. It's called having an affair," the boy continued. The other boys watched him in aw. "I heard my dad talk about it. Mom's go and have affairs with monsters and become whores. It the most horrible thing a mom can do."

"My mom isn't horrible! And she isn't a whore!"

"Oh really? How come you don't look anything like your parents then?"

Because he was a monster . . . . His real father was a monster too . . . .

"Shut up!"

"Monster baby!"

Kyo tackled the boy, picking up a rock and punching his face with it. The boy screamed while his friends watched. Eventually, the teacher heard the screaming and came out, pulling Kyo off the boy. A little bit of blood dripped from the boy's mouth where his teeth had hit his lip when Kyo hit him. Kyo grinned at it, satisfied at the damage he was able to make.

"KYO!" Kyo's eyes widen when he felt the teacher's hand on his shoulder. He was too close to a girl! He spun around and threw the rock at the teacher's face.

* * *

Kyo was sent home. He was asked not to come back for the rest of the day. He seemed too violent to attend to the school, but his mother begged to let him stay. She said she'd work on his behavior.

She brought him home without saying anything to him. As soon as they were inside, she went to the counter of the kitchen, taking a knife and slicing a tomato for dinner. She gasped as she cut herself. She stared at the wound for a moment as the blood dripped onto the floor. She didn't move very fast to get a paper towel. She didn't seem to feel the cut at all.

Kyo sighed. At least he was home. Home was better than school. He went to his room because it didn't seem like his mother was happy with him. He had fought again, even though she told him not too.

Eventually he heard his father come home, and as soon as the door open, he heard his mother sob. "Ami, what's wrong!?"

"Nothing. Kyo's just inside his room." There was more chopping sounds, they sounded a little too loud against the counter, and the sounds made Kyo nervous.

"Let's go outside."

Kyo left his room and watched them through the glass back door. He could still hear their muffled voices behind the glass.

"Kyo was sent home early from school today . . ."

"The hell why!?"

"He's been fighting with the other students. This time he threw a rock at the teacher's face."

His father stared at his mother very hard. "It's happening. Don't you see it? Kyo is getting too violent. You're not going to be able to control him. He _has_ to go into confinement!"

His mother fell to her knees and covered her face. "No . . ." she whimpered. "I'm so sorry Ryou. I wanted to give birth to a good baby. I wanted us to be happy. Instead I give birth to this thing . . . Kyo . . . . I'm so sorry, but I can't look at him anymore. I love him so much, but I can't _look at him_! How could a boy have such a horrible mother!? That poor boy! I feel so sorry for him!" She sobbed. She couldn't say anymore, because she was crying so hard.

"Mom . . ." Kyo murmured. With some difficulty Kyo opened the door and walked over to his mother. "I'm sorry, mommy . . ." He took his mother's hands. "You're _not_ horrible . . ."

His mother looked away from him.

"Kyo, go back inside," his father said. Kyo looked up at him. If his father really was a monster, maybe this man that stood before him actually was. Both him and Kyo made his mother cry.

"KYO! GO!"

Kyo let go of his mother's hands, and headed back to his room. His mother didn't want to look at him. Of course not. Why would she? He was a monster.

* * *

The next morning it was raining and the babysitter couldn't make it. She said the weather was too bad, but Kyo had to still go to school.

His mother took Kyo's hand as they walked through the wet streets, rain beating down on them. The umbrella that they had didn't do much help.

The babysitter couldn't hold his hand. It was ok if his mother held his hand.

Cars went by them, their blaring headlights coming and going, reflected off the puddles. Water sprayed into Kyo's face.

His mother hadn't said anything to him all day. She dressed him, gave him breakfast and took his hand, but never said a word while doing it.

They were getting to the train station. At least there was a roof over head, and the rain wasn't as bad. The trains coming and going made a lot of noise as they waited in line. Kyo was watching the people go by as he held his mother's cold clammy hand. The rain seemed to make everything look darker. People were in they're dark rain coats. The streets were blacker, the clouds hid the sun.

His mother let go of his hand and he turned to her. She was walking away from him. He was confused at first. He would have gone to follow her, but the fact that she had actually pulled her hand out of his made him surprised. Kyo thought she might come back. She left the umbrella on the ground beside him.

Her light brown hair blew back from the wind that was blowing as she walked away. Kyo looked at the umbrella and put a hand on it. He'd keep it safe until she came back.

The loud noise of another train was coming by, and the umbrella trembled. He tightened his grip and kept it still.

 _VAAAAAAVOOOOOOOOOM!_

"OH MY GOD!"

Kyo's head whipped around at the sound. He thought he saw something fly up into the air, but his view was blocked by people pushing in front of him.

"DID YOU SEE IT HAPPEN!?"

"SHE JUST WALKED RIGHT INTO IT!"

"SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!"

"She's dead, I can assure you that."

Someone shoved into Kyo and he fell over, landing on the umbrella, breaking it. He clutched at it, curling up into a ball. There were too many people around. He had to not touch any of them. That's what his mother wanted.

Where was she? She should take him away from here. He had to go to school.

 _WEEEE-OOOOH!_

 _WEEEE-OOOOH!_

Red and blue lights were flashing. Kyo didn't know where they were coming from. A man grabbed his shoulder, pulling him up and Kyo let out a cry.

"Who does this kid belong, too?!"

"I don't know. He's not mine."

"That woman was with him!"

"Yeah, I saw them together, too."

Kyo lashed out with part of the broken umbrella. "WHERE'S MY MOM!? LET GO OF ME!"

"Oh God, that was his mother!"

"Come with me, kid," The man that had grabbed him coaxed.

"NO! STAY AWAY! WHERE'S MY MOM?!"

* * *

Aimi Sohma was identify by the contents found in her purse. Kyo's father was called, and someone was sent to pick Kyo up and bring him home. It was a man Kyo didn't recognize, but he somehow new Kyo's name.

Once home, Kyo's father was found, sitting at the kitchen table. His face was pressed against the table, his arms covering his head. There was a letter clutched in one of his hands.

The strange man left Kyo at the doorway and went up to his father, touching his shoulder. "You have to go down there. They need someone to officially identify the body."

"What's the point," his father sobbed. "It's her." He looked at the letter. "It wasn't some accident."

"What is that?"

"It's a letter . . . from her . . . ." He choked. "It says, 'being with him is too painful . . .'" his father choked on the sentence. "And then she goes on apologizing for not giving birth to something better like the rat! This family is fucked up! Why couldn't we just be normal!?"

The rat . . . ? Who was the rat . . . ?

Someone better than him, obviously. Someone his mother wanted more than him. Well he could just have her! He didn't care about her anymore! She left him out in the rain with all those people! She let go of _his_ hand and walked away from _him!_

His father shook his head. "I knew this would happen eventually. I tried to stop it. I knew what that _thing_ was doing to her! Why couldn't anyone save her!? Why didn't anyone stop her!?" His father looked up and at Kyo, as if just noticing him for the first time. "You were with her . . .why didn't you stop her!?"

Kyo looked at his father. Stop her from what? From going away!? What could he have done?!

"Ryou . . ."the man started.

"You could have grabbed her hand, called her out! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING!?"

"Ryou, he's just a child. He wouldn't have been able to do anything . . ."

"YOU JUST LET YOUR MOTHER WALTZ RIGHT IN FRONT OF A TRAIN!? YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?"

Kyo blinked at his father, fear rising up in him.

"YOU KILLED HER! YOU DROVE HER INTO A CORNER! NOW SHE'S DEAD! WE'LL NEVER SEE HER AGAIN AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!"

"Ryou!"

"How _could_ you. Your mother loved you more than anyone . . ."

"Ryou, come with me. Leave him alone."

Dead . . . ? No, she wasn't. She wasn't dead . . .

He saw her walking away from him . . . the shawl she wore and her skirt fluttering . . . fluttering to dead . . .?

 _"WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?! DO YOU WANT MOMMY TO BE SCARED?! DO YOU WANT TO MAKE HER CRY?!"_

He made her scared. He made her cry.

 _"You make Mommy very sad when you cause problems like these."_

He made her sad. He caused problems.

 _"I wanted us to be happy. Instead I give birth to this thing . . . Kyo . . . . I'm so sorry, but I can't look at him anymore. I love him so much, but I can't_ look at him _!"_

She couldn't look at him.

 _"If it would help you, your mother would die for you."_

She died.

"Ryou, come on." The strange man took his father away to another room.

Kyo stared at the floor. There was a stain on the floor, from where his mother had cut herself only yesterday. If he stared long enough at it, it looking like a face, it's mouth open in laughter, showing its pointed teeth.

A monster's face.

Kyo let out a cry and backed away from it.

He went into the living room, in front of the black TV. He sat there for moment, expecting to hear his mother bustle about in the kitchen.

But there was no sound. Everything was quiet. He was alone.

Because he killed her.


End file.
